Louisiana State University Football Media Conference Ed Orgeron
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Louisiana State University Football Media Conference Monday, September 11, 2017 Ed Orgeron So those are the things we continue to work on and we're going to work very hard on them this week. COACH ORGERON: Welcome, everybody. Seems like They're unacceptable. we're getting into the season now. It's cranking up. And I always love tell-the-truth Monday, especially Arden Key has been cleared to play this week. He's when we win. going to work hard all week in full contact, and we'll play him as much as we can. We'll see during the We're very excited to walk down that Tiger Walk for our week, see how much he can do. first game. It was exciting moment. It was packed. I want to thank the fans. It was a great, electric A couple of things: We're plus-3 in the turnover margin atmosphere and for that we're very grateful. this year, with three interceptions. That's one of the things we wanted to get better at. Last year we were at We're pleased that we won the game. We had some zero. So we're on our way to making marked things that we need to get fixed. We didn't play our improvement. We're going up against a very tough best game. But there's some positives on offense that Mississippi State team. we're really pleased about. Number one, zero turnovers again, five big explosive plays, the play of We lead the nation in rushing defense. Again, we're Danny Etling, the play of our wide receivers -- the way going to have stiffer tests down the road. Dan Mullen, they're catching the football and the plays they're we play Mississippi State, and Billy Gonzales and John making. Again Mickey Joseph is doing a tremendous Hevesy, I know all those guys. I have a lot of respect job with them. for them. They're excellent coaches. On defense, two turnovers, two interceptions by two The year I went off I went and spent some time with freshmen, Greedy and Kary Vincent. That was a great Dan and I watched the way they practice. Spent three catch by both of them. Five sacks, two of them by days with them, spoke at our clinic. And have utmost K'Lavon Chaisson. respect the way he recruits and the way he runs his program. One was on the grounding. They gave him a sack. And two by Corey, who has four sacks on the year Mississippi State is number one in SEC scoring already. Eight tackles for loss and four pass breakups. offense, 53 points a game. We have a challenge ahead of us. 507 yards for a game. Special teams, obviously the punt return for 65 yards by D.J. Cameron Gamble had three touchbacks. One I think the biggest thing on their staff is the hired Todd of the things that we said we wanted to fix that we Grantham, a guy I respect. He was at Louisville last fixed. Obviously we need to fix our field goal unit and year. He's a defensive line coach. He went to the we're going to work on it very hard this week and try Cowboys. I followed him, studied with him all my some different things. It won't be different guys years. He's tough. He's aggressive. because those are the guys we have. We'll try different techniques and work very hard with them. And I think that you can see that he's making a difference in their football team. Louisville was 14th in We played 20 freshmen this season. For that we're the nation in total defense last year. Mississippi State very proud. Again we're very proud of this freshmen has only given up 174 yards per game, 10.5 points per class and they play very well. game. I think they were giving up close to 30 last year. His pass defense is No. 1 in the SEC at 89 yards per We'll continue to work on the penalties. We had 10 in game. the first half. But we're pleased we addressed it, and we only had one in the second half. I think it was 1:45 Their special teams kickoff return about 20 yards per left to go, on a hard count. game. Kickoff averaged 64.8 yards. 12 touchbacks. Rev #1 by #188 at 2017-09-11 18:33:00 GMT page 1 of 6 Field goal special (indiscernible) of the day is 2-of-4 in doesn't do very well, we're not doing them. I think field goal attempts, but he's had two blocked. Punt that's the difference. return, special punt -- specialist Logan Cooke, 43, 43.5 yards per punt. 12 touchbacks on kickoffs and their Q. What is your biggest takeaway; is it a surprise kick returner, Keith Mixon, No. 23, has a long of 15 how well your wide receivers have played? And I'm yards. not trying to put words in your mouth, but what specifically do you think they got from working We're going to prepare this week, an SEC opponent. with Jerry Sullivan? There should be a different vibe around the building. COACH ORGERON: Here's, first of all, the way that Our first SEC opponent, a very good SEC opponent. A college football is now, Mickey is a great coach. He's tough physical SEC opponent on the road. been all over the place. But he didn't have all that experience coaching wide receivers. So Jerry Most of the guys are healthy. I don't know if Rashard Sullivan's name came across my desk as a guy that we Lawrence will play this week. I don't even know how could use as a consultant to coach Mickey. And much he's going to practice this week. That's still Mickey was open arms. questionable. Most of the rest of our guys will play, and obviously we're fired up to have Arden Key back. Any And Jerry did a tremendous job of teaching him not questions? only route concepts but the techniques within the route concepts and the footwork. And that's what the Q. Could you just walk us through the process of difference is with our guys -- the footwork and the way getting Arden cleared? they run the routes and the timing between them and COACH ORGERON: Yeah. Jack does all that for me. Danny. Plus they're catching every ball we're throwing And Jack does tests and he's got to pass a couple of them. tests here and there and some of them his strength wasn't up to par. And then every week the strength Stephen had a mis-drop. If he would have caught that and the flexibility was getting better and better, closer ball it would have been a touchdown, we think. And to our target. And today he's at that target. that's the only drop we had. And we had planned the whole time but we thought this Q. What have you thought now through two weeks was a game that he would be ready at. We wasn't for of Greedy, obviously his first time being on the sure, though. And obviously he is. He worked very field? And then as a defensive coach, Aranda, how hard. Obviously he's a little bit heavier than he played do you manage a guy, Kevin, who started last year last year, so he's going to have to get into game shape. and is coming back now with a guy who is playing I'm going to see how he does this week. so well? COACH ORGERON: It's a good problem to have, Q. Will you have a snap count on him of how many obviously, that Greedy waited his turn. Someone plays you want him to play? Is it kind of going -- blinked. He moved in. And he's holding on to that COACH ORGERON: This week, it's the first time as spot. He doesn't want to give it up. That's what we like you guys have seen he's doing drills. He's going to do about competition. teamwork. He's going to take full hits, full contact. And then we'll see what's happening. But I will say this, There's no sacred spots on our football team. We're K'Lavon Chaisson had two sacks in the game, is a very going to play the best players regardless of seniority of formidable backup. We can rotate him if we have to anything. And we want the guys that are playing the give him breaks. All depends on his conditioning. best. And right now Greedy is doing that. Q. After kind of taking a look at some of the film, Q. So kind of building off of that Corey what are the biggest takeaways from Etling's Thompson's played pretty incredible through the performance and just his overall comfort and poise first two games. I know last year a lot of times in the pocket? when you all went to the nickel that position came COACH ORGERON: First of all, protection. First of all, off the field. How do you look to keep him on the the knowledge of the offense. I think Matt is -- I don't field more this year so he can continue to -- think, I know Matt is doing a great job of managing COACH ORGERON: Good question.