VIDEO
The highlights:
"We got a lot of things done last week in practice and felt like our team made some progress. Now, after a weekend off, always the challenge to get refocused on what you need to do to prepare for the next game, the next challenge. Obviously this is a tremendous challenge for us to play what is arguably an undefeated team, to me, because they've been undefeated since their new coach, Ed Orgeron, took over.
"They've got a very good team, playing very, very well right now. New energy and enthusiasm. There have been a lot of really good games between these two teams through the years. It's kind of developed into a rivalry game of sorts. We've both been ranked over the last eight or nine years, most of the time in the Top 10. This is a real challenge game for us. We'll find out who we are, what we're made of and how we can compete in a very difficult circumstance.
"Ed took over this team and they have played extremely well the last three games in all phases of the game,on offense, defense and special teams. They have some really outstanding players on both sides of the ball. Leonard Fournette is probably one of the most dynamic running backs that has played in college football for awhile and is playing extremely well right now. And when Guice comes in for him, there's not a lot of dropoff there.
"The quarterback has played very well and created a lot of balance for them in the last couple of weeks. They've got a couple of really, really talented receivers that are really, really good players. They've got a big, strong, physical offensive line that does a great job of executing their running game.
"When you get to the defensive side of it, it doesn't really get any better. They're in the Top 10 in a lot of categories and one of the most difficult teams to score on. Very good in the front. Arden Key is a very good rusher. Kendall Beckwith is an outstanding linebacker, who leads in tackles but also runs the show out there and does a really good job.
"This is probably the most athletic, talented secondary that we've had to play against all year long. They've got really good specialists on special teams _ good returners, good kickers and punter. And they've got good team speed so they're always really good on special teams. This is a really outstanding team and a great challenge for our team. We're just anxious to go back to work today and get back at it with our players."
How has Damien Harris improved from last year and where has Burton Burns helped him?
"I think Damien, all freshmen when they're freshmen, sort of feel their way, find their way, not sure about what they're doing. We could see that Damien was a very talented guy. I just think was not confident in what he was being asked to do. As this year has progressed, he's gotten more and more confident that he has a better understanding. You can always relate that back to some degree to their coach, who is actually teaching you the offense and how to do what you do. He's been very productive and played with a lot of confidence and has turned out to be the kind of player that we thought he could be. We're very pleased with how he's performed for us this year."
Question about Damien Harris' vision:
"I think that any good running back has really good vision. Vision is understanding of the play, how you press (believe thats what he said) tje hole, how you make cuts in the hole based on how the defense reacts. I don't care how talented you are with the ball in your hand, if you don't have that instinctive vision to make those cuts at the right time, relative to setting up the setting up the blocks, reading the blocks, running off the blocks, I don't think you're going to be very productive. And Damien does that very well."
Alphonse Taylor's status with concussion protocol:
"He is going to practice some today. We're kind of allowing him to do what he can, and we'll sort of take it day to day. I can't really answer that fully. We've been off for three days and we're going to see how he does today."
Have you decided how you're going to replace Eddie at safety?
"Minkah has worked back there some and he's very natural at it. Played it in high school quite a bit. We haven't made any decisions for sure on how we'll go there. We'll just continue to work and see how it develops and see who can handle it the best and try to put the best combination of guys out there we can relative to what we have to play against."
Ed Orgeron's impact on LSU:
"I can't really speak or make comparisons. I really don't know what's happened. All I can see is what's happened on the field. His leadership obviously has had some effect on that. The team seems to be playing wtih a lot of energy and a lot of confidence. They've executed really well and haven't made a lot of mistakes. I just feel like in the last three games they've played really, really well."
Jonathan Allen's improvement year-over-year:
"Last year, because we had a lot of depth, Jonathan didn't have to play all the circumstances in the games. We sort of saved him a little bit for the pass rush situations. He played some and alternated in there and did a really good job. But this year he's having to play in all phases of the game and has done really well, whether we're playing against a running team or whether he's been called upon to pass rush or whatever it's been. I would say that we had confidence that he could do all those things a year ago. He didn't have to do them as often. But he's accepted the role of what he's had to do on this year's team. He's done extremely well both run and pass."
What does Jalen have to do going into a game like this against LSU's defensive ends?
"I think the number one thing that everybody has to do on our team is you have you focus on what you have to do to execute. This is not a trick-em-type situation. They're going to line up like they line up and you're going to have to block them and you're going to have to read what they do and they're going to play man-to-man and the receivers are going to have to beat them and the quarterback is going to have to make throws in small spaces. We're going to have to protect the edges, because they've got two defensive ends that both can rush. There's no magical potion for what you do relative to playing in a game like this, it comes down to your ability to execute, block, tackle, focus on the things that you need to do to execute one play at a time in the game and that's going to be important for the quarterback to do as well. Take what the defense gives. They're very good at what they do and we need to be very good at what we do."
What are your punt return options? How important is fourth down in a game like this for field position?
"We have looked at our options. We have several guys that have been back there this year; Xavian Marks has been back there, returned one for a touchdown in a game, Trevon Diggs has been back there. So we'll continue to evaluate which one of those guys. I think the most important thing in a game like this is, who is going to do the best job, especially because they're a spread punting team with a left-footed punter, they do bulldog, rugby punt sometime. The judgment of the guy back there, when to field the ball, when not to field it, when to play it on a hop, when to get away from it, I think that's really critical when you're playing against this kind of team. They do a really good job of covering. They've only had six punt returns against them out of 32 punts or something like that. I think the key thing is possession of the ball in a game like this."
When did you first realize you had something special in Jalen?
"Well, I think it's a work in progress. We wanted to play him in the first game, so we did that because we thought he had a potential to do some really good things and make a contribution to the team. He certainly responded well in that game and we sort of build on that. You never know how a guy is going to develop and how he's going to improve, especially young players, how they can handle the responsibility that they have, how they can handle their ability to focus and stay with what they're doing. He's done that extremely well. I think it's going to be important for us that he continues to do that and he continues to grow and learn. There are a lot of things we can do better on offense to be a little bit more of a complete team and I think that those are the things we focused on a week ago in the bye week to try and improve upon. That's going to be something that's going to be important for us to be able to do in this game."
Calvin Ridley's numbers are probably going to be down this year. How has he handled his role in the offense? What kind of year is he having?
"I think he's having a great year. Last year we were a different kind of team. This year we haven't been able to get him the ball as frequently or on the explosive plays that we were able to last year. It's not that we haven't tried at times, we just haven't succeeded at it. But he's handling it very well. First play of the game last week, he's going cross-field blocking point on Damien Harris' run and you'd say this guy was shot out of a cannon, trying to get over there and block somebody. He's actually doing the things that he needs to do to help the team try to be successful. Never has he shown any signs of being disappointed or frustrated. He is a guy that can make explosive plays for us and when I say there are some things that we need to improve on as an offensive team, that's what I'm talking about; being able to get the ball to some of our guys on the perimeter that have chances to make really big plays."
Any particularly nice birthday gifts today?
"Not really. I only got, really, one. It was one of those things where you push the button and it says 'That's bullshit.'"
(laughs)
"I don't know if somebody is trying to tell me something or what."
Do you need that button?
"They told me I couldn't take it home. I may need it more at home than I need it here."
What are you wanting to see from Tony Brown this week to feel more comfortable giving him increased playing time?
"I think that with every player that you put out there and you give an opportunity to play, you want to know that you can trust a guy to do what he's supposed to do. That would be no different with Tony and any other player that we put out there on the field. You know what your assignment is, you know what your key is, you know what your read is, you're going to go do those things and we can trust you to do your job. That's what we want from any player on our team. That's certainly what we'd like to get out of Tony Brown if he gets the opportunity to play in the game."
What kind of changes have you seen to LSU's offense since Ed Orgeron took over?
"They're using a little more multiple personnel groupings, have done a really good job of executing. The play action pass game has been very effective. I think it's not real complicated for the quarterback but he's done a really good job of executing and tying in the play action passes with their great running game and making explosive plays down the field with some very, very good receivers. So they're a little more open, I would say, in terms of what they're doing and its paid some dividends in the balance they've been able to create by doing that."
The highlights:
- Team is still pretty healthy overall. Shank Taylor is still day-to-day so we'll check on him at practice today.
- Saban didn't say it this clearly, but Minkah Fitzpatrick told us later that he was going to be playing more safety now with Eddie Jackson out. That was what his "challenge accepted" tweet last week was about.
- At punt returner, you'll probably see Xavian Marks or Trevon Diggs. Think they'll go with the guy who is more reliable for this game and not necessarily worry about getting explosive plays in the PR game right now.
- Saban got a "bullshit" button for his 65th birthday today. Pardon my French. That's one clip from the press conference you probably won't see on TV.
- Very complimentary of Calvin Ridley and the year he's having even though his receiving numbers have been down. He's played well and done what they asked of him this year in an offense that doesn't always get him the ball or set him up for big plays.
"We got a lot of things done last week in practice and felt like our team made some progress. Now, after a weekend off, always the challenge to get refocused on what you need to do to prepare for the next game, the next challenge. Obviously this is a tremendous challenge for us to play what is arguably an undefeated team, to me, because they've been undefeated since their new coach, Ed Orgeron, took over.
"They've got a very good team, playing very, very well right now. New energy and enthusiasm. There have been a lot of really good games between these two teams through the years. It's kind of developed into a rivalry game of sorts. We've both been ranked over the last eight or nine years, most of the time in the Top 10. This is a real challenge game for us. We'll find out who we are, what we're made of and how we can compete in a very difficult circumstance.
"Ed took over this team and they have played extremely well the last three games in all phases of the game,on offense, defense and special teams. They have some really outstanding players on both sides of the ball. Leonard Fournette is probably one of the most dynamic running backs that has played in college football for awhile and is playing extremely well right now. And when Guice comes in for him, there's not a lot of dropoff there.
"The quarterback has played very well and created a lot of balance for them in the last couple of weeks. They've got a couple of really, really talented receivers that are really, really good players. They've got a big, strong, physical offensive line that does a great job of executing their running game.
"When you get to the defensive side of it, it doesn't really get any better. They're in the Top 10 in a lot of categories and one of the most difficult teams to score on. Very good in the front. Arden Key is a very good rusher. Kendall Beckwith is an outstanding linebacker, who leads in tackles but also runs the show out there and does a really good job.
"This is probably the most athletic, talented secondary that we've had to play against all year long. They've got really good specialists on special teams _ good returners, good kickers and punter. And they've got good team speed so they're always really good on special teams. This is a really outstanding team and a great challenge for our team. We're just anxious to go back to work today and get back at it with our players."
How has Damien Harris improved from last year and where has Burton Burns helped him?
"I think Damien, all freshmen when they're freshmen, sort of feel their way, find their way, not sure about what they're doing. We could see that Damien was a very talented guy. I just think was not confident in what he was being asked to do. As this year has progressed, he's gotten more and more confident that he has a better understanding. You can always relate that back to some degree to their coach, who is actually teaching you the offense and how to do what you do. He's been very productive and played with a lot of confidence and has turned out to be the kind of player that we thought he could be. We're very pleased with how he's performed for us this year."
Question about Damien Harris' vision:
"I think that any good running back has really good vision. Vision is understanding of the play, how you press (believe thats what he said) tje hole, how you make cuts in the hole based on how the defense reacts. I don't care how talented you are with the ball in your hand, if you don't have that instinctive vision to make those cuts at the right time, relative to setting up the setting up the blocks, reading the blocks, running off the blocks, I don't think you're going to be very productive. And Damien does that very well."
Alphonse Taylor's status with concussion protocol:
"He is going to practice some today. We're kind of allowing him to do what he can, and we'll sort of take it day to day. I can't really answer that fully. We've been off for three days and we're going to see how he does today."
Have you decided how you're going to replace Eddie at safety?
"Minkah has worked back there some and he's very natural at it. Played it in high school quite a bit. We haven't made any decisions for sure on how we'll go there. We'll just continue to work and see how it develops and see who can handle it the best and try to put the best combination of guys out there we can relative to what we have to play against."
Ed Orgeron's impact on LSU:
"I can't really speak or make comparisons. I really don't know what's happened. All I can see is what's happened on the field. His leadership obviously has had some effect on that. The team seems to be playing wtih a lot of energy and a lot of confidence. They've executed really well and haven't made a lot of mistakes. I just feel like in the last three games they've played really, really well."
Jonathan Allen's improvement year-over-year:
"Last year, because we had a lot of depth, Jonathan didn't have to play all the circumstances in the games. We sort of saved him a little bit for the pass rush situations. He played some and alternated in there and did a really good job. But this year he's having to play in all phases of the game and has done really well, whether we're playing against a running team or whether he's been called upon to pass rush or whatever it's been. I would say that we had confidence that he could do all those things a year ago. He didn't have to do them as often. But he's accepted the role of what he's had to do on this year's team. He's done extremely well both run and pass."
What does Jalen have to do going into a game like this against LSU's defensive ends?
"I think the number one thing that everybody has to do on our team is you have you focus on what you have to do to execute. This is not a trick-em-type situation. They're going to line up like they line up and you're going to have to block them and you're going to have to read what they do and they're going to play man-to-man and the receivers are going to have to beat them and the quarterback is going to have to make throws in small spaces. We're going to have to protect the edges, because they've got two defensive ends that both can rush. There's no magical potion for what you do relative to playing in a game like this, it comes down to your ability to execute, block, tackle, focus on the things that you need to do to execute one play at a time in the game and that's going to be important for the quarterback to do as well. Take what the defense gives. They're very good at what they do and we need to be very good at what we do."
What are your punt return options? How important is fourth down in a game like this for field position?
"We have looked at our options. We have several guys that have been back there this year; Xavian Marks has been back there, returned one for a touchdown in a game, Trevon Diggs has been back there. So we'll continue to evaluate which one of those guys. I think the most important thing in a game like this is, who is going to do the best job, especially because they're a spread punting team with a left-footed punter, they do bulldog, rugby punt sometime. The judgment of the guy back there, when to field the ball, when not to field it, when to play it on a hop, when to get away from it, I think that's really critical when you're playing against this kind of team. They do a really good job of covering. They've only had six punt returns against them out of 32 punts or something like that. I think the key thing is possession of the ball in a game like this."
When did you first realize you had something special in Jalen?
"Well, I think it's a work in progress. We wanted to play him in the first game, so we did that because we thought he had a potential to do some really good things and make a contribution to the team. He certainly responded well in that game and we sort of build on that. You never know how a guy is going to develop and how he's going to improve, especially young players, how they can handle the responsibility that they have, how they can handle their ability to focus and stay with what they're doing. He's done that extremely well. I think it's going to be important for us that he continues to do that and he continues to grow and learn. There are a lot of things we can do better on offense to be a little bit more of a complete team and I think that those are the things we focused on a week ago in the bye week to try and improve upon. That's going to be something that's going to be important for us to be able to do in this game."
Calvin Ridley's numbers are probably going to be down this year. How has he handled his role in the offense? What kind of year is he having?
"I think he's having a great year. Last year we were a different kind of team. This year we haven't been able to get him the ball as frequently or on the explosive plays that we were able to last year. It's not that we haven't tried at times, we just haven't succeeded at it. But he's handling it very well. First play of the game last week, he's going cross-field blocking point on Damien Harris' run and you'd say this guy was shot out of a cannon, trying to get over there and block somebody. He's actually doing the things that he needs to do to help the team try to be successful. Never has he shown any signs of being disappointed or frustrated. He is a guy that can make explosive plays for us and when I say there are some things that we need to improve on as an offensive team, that's what I'm talking about; being able to get the ball to some of our guys on the perimeter that have chances to make really big plays."
Any particularly nice birthday gifts today?
"Not really. I only got, really, one. It was one of those things where you push the button and it says 'That's bullshit.'"
(laughs)
"I don't know if somebody is trying to tell me something or what."
Do you need that button?
"They told me I couldn't take it home. I may need it more at home than I need it here."
What are you wanting to see from Tony Brown this week to feel more comfortable giving him increased playing time?
"I think that with every player that you put out there and you give an opportunity to play, you want to know that you can trust a guy to do what he's supposed to do. That would be no different with Tony and any other player that we put out there on the field. You know what your assignment is, you know what your key is, you know what your read is, you're going to go do those things and we can trust you to do your job. That's what we want from any player on our team. That's certainly what we'd like to get out of Tony Brown if he gets the opportunity to play in the game."
What kind of changes have you seen to LSU's offense since Ed Orgeron took over?
"They're using a little more multiple personnel groupings, have done a really good job of executing. The play action pass game has been very effective. I think it's not real complicated for the quarterback but he's done a really good job of executing and tying in the play action passes with their great running game and making explosive plays down the field with some very, very good receivers. So they're a little more open, I would say, in terms of what they're doing and its paid some dividends in the balance they've been able to create by doing that."
