blacksaint

Coach notes 'lack of intensity'

Wednesday, August 15, 2007
By Jim Kleinpeter

BATON ROUGE -- For the first time since fall camp began 12 days ago, LSU Coach Les Miles wasn't all smiles after practice.

The Tigers went through a two-hour, 100-play controlled scrimmage, the second during fall camp. Maybe it was the 100-degree heat at Tiger Stadium, but more likely it was the absence of tackling.

Rather than hit full speed, it was a "thud" scrimmage in which tacklers hit ball carriers and wrap them up, but don't knock them down.

"I personally don't like those because they lack the intensity (of tackling scrimmages), but we got what we needed accomplished," Miles said. "I wasn't happy with the scrimmage. I didn't think it was crisp, and I didn't think there was any of the attention to detail that we are accustomed to."

"We will go to work tomorrow to correct some of those things. Some of the things that we did were indicative of a thud scrimmage and not necessarily the intensity of a tackle scrimmage."

Miles said the first and second units got about 32 snaps each, with the third unit getting about 20. The Tigers also worked on their return game and red-zone situations.

Miles singled out senior quarterback Matt Flynn and senior wide receiver Early Doucet. Doucet also stood out in the return segment.

Miles added that the defense collectively played well.

"Flynn was sharp in the checks and things we've asked him to do," Miles said. "He made some nice throws. Doucet again looked sharp, but we didn't get him the ball a tremendous number of times. We have to eliminate pre-snap penalties and make sure we hold on to the football. If we do those things, then this offense will come on.

"I think the defense as a group played pretty well. They ran to the football. It was hard to get yards. They just seemed to have everything kind of closely covered."

All-American defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey went full speed after missing Saturday's scrimmage and another practice last week with a sore hamstring. He returned to workouts Monday.

Guard Will Arnold played 12 snaps, though Miles said that was twice as many as the staff had hoped. Arnold has been battling leg problems and is coming off reconstructive ankle surgery from last year.

On Sunday, Arnold said he expected to play the whole scrimmage after being held out of Saturday's session. Miles said Arnold worked at left guard, so the attempt to switch Arnold to right guard apparently has been scrapped.

Injuries the past two seasons have limited Arnold, a 6-foot-4, 319-pounder from Gloster, Miss., to 14 games.

The scrimmage was closed to the media, and players were not made available to the media afterward. LSU's sports information staff did not keep statistics.

The Tigers will go back to the practice field five more times during the next three days before fall camp's final scrimmage Saturday. Miles said that one will be big and will be full contact.

LSU will break camp Sunday and begin a normal practice routine Monday before the Tigers' opener Aug. 30 at Mississippi State. The following Monday will be the first day of school.

NOLA.com: Everything New Orleans

saint4life
(504)