Player Profile: Tyson Jackson LSU DE

Pros: Jackson has the size and strength to play in a 4-3 or a 3-4, so unlike many of the ends in this college class, the former Bayou Bengal has no questions to answer in terms of his ability to play along the line of scrimmage. He does a great job of blowing up plays in the backfield, with his play against the run the strength of his game. Jackson is a disciplined football player, who sticks to his responsibilities and doesn’t lose containment. He shows the ability to handle double teams and still be a force at the line of scrimmage. Jackson is a very solid tackler and shows enough quickness for a man of his size to be able to chase runners and quarterbacks down from behind. He is tough, instinctive and has also proven to be very durable throughout his career in Baton Rouge. Jackson is a well-spoken young man, understands how to play within the team concept and comes with the reputation as a good leader.

Cons: Jackson lacks the high-end speed and quickness to be a dominating pass rusher. He had just 8.5 sacks over the past two seasons and simply won’t be a playmaker coming off the edge at the next level, which many teams look for when using a first round pick for a defensive end (particularly those who employ a 4-3 scheme). He struggles to break down in one-on-one situations and can be beat by quick backs. As purely a 4-3 end, Jackson has second or third round value.

Scouts Take: With more and more teams switching to the 3-4 defense, Jackson is the top prospect for those in need of a big force at defensive end. His value is playing on the interior, using his stoutness to stuff the run and hold down the fort. He should be able to start from day one and command double teams, which will free up linebackers to make plays the same way an offensive line sets up a star tailback. He won’t fill the stat sheet or show up on highlight reels, but he will do his job and allow others to shine. His value goes far beyond the numbers, especially for a 4-3 team, which should make him a mid-first round pick. Teams that play the 4-3 may look at the LSU product as someone who can shift inside on passing downs and play some defensive tackle.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

Q&A: Tyson Jackson, DT, LSU

LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson interviewed on All Access Football Radio's Football Friday Show with Ralph Mancini, Daniel Mogollon and Rodney Towe in our Defensive Linemen Special on March 27, 2009

The Draft is basically a month away, are you feeling those butterflies yet and do you have an idea of which teams want you?

Jackson: Right now the butterflies are pretty much just starting to kick in. I am starting to really understand the process and everything I’m going through, so now I am really feeling the pressure of the Draft and everything that comes with it. All in all, it is an exciting time for me and my family and I really have to be thankful for the situation that I am in.

As the Draft (process) and Pro Days are winding down, what are you doing to keep yourself busy?

Jackson: Right now, I’ve had two workouts. Next week is going to a pretty busy week for me. I have to fly out to a few teams. Right now I am just working out with LSU getting back in football shape, getting back wind doing extra conditioning things and just trying to get myself into the best shape possible so that once the Draft is over and I go back to the team, I look good and in pretty good shape.

Any particular teams you want to mention?

Jackson: I met with the Denver Broncos on Wednesday. Today I met with the Seattle Seahawks and next week I go to Detroit, then I go back and meet with the Broncos again. All in all, 3-4 (defense) teams are really impressed with me and even some of the 4-3 teams really like me as a defensive end and on third downs, I can go inside and play three technique so I’m pretty useful throughout the whole series of a game. I can be an every-down defensive lineman.

You began your college career like a house of fire but then you started facing more and more double teams. What did you learn from that and how did that make you a better player?

Jackson: I learned that once you start standing out, you’re going to start drawing a lot of attention and guys are going to start focusing on you. It made me a better player because I started to understand the schemes and how offensive coaches think, how they try to go against defensive guys like me. I understand it fully. I was playing left defensive end about ninety five percent of my college career and while I was on that side, guys did not run on my side when I was a senior, for what reason I didn’t know. In all the big games we played this year guys always ran the ball to the right side of the defense. It helped me by showing me that offensive coaches respected me but it hurt me in the sense that my stats were real low because I couldn’t make tackles unless I ran down from the backside of the play. It made me a better player...understanding the defense, understanding what offensive coaches are thinking and just developing my game as a person, trying to be the best that I can be out there.

When I watch you play, one word comes to mind and that’s “relentless”. Where does that drive come from? Are you having fun out there, or do you feel like you really have something to prove?

Jackson: I’m having fun, but I do have something to prove. Coming out of high school I was never rated real high, even coming to the Draft I’m not rated real high and I feel like I am always in that underdog mode. I think it fits me perfectly and I’m just real relentless for one reason. When I was recruited up here, Coach (Nick) Saban was the coach at the time, and that is all he stressed, he stressed relentless effort and he said it didn’t matter how athletic you were, how strong you were—everyone can give relentless effort. That just grew on me and I just take it to the football field all the time. I’m real aggressive, real physical and I try to dominate my opponent every play, by any means necessary, so I bring that approach with me on the field and I think you need it as a good defensive lineman. You have to be that top of the edge guy where you’re aggressive and very physical with the offensive linemen.

We understand you work out with a lot of former LSU players. Talk about your relationship with a guy like Glenn Dorsey and what has he told you about his rookie season and rookie experience?

Jackson: As a matter of fact, me and Glenn were together last night but he really didn’t talk about his rookie season too much. He just let me know what type of things I should be expecting in the next few days, how everything gets real hectic. I guess he’s been around me for long enough and he could tell I was pretty nervous about this whole situation. He was like, “Man you don’t have nothing to worry about. I know you and I know you can play football”. That helped me out so much inside coming from a guy like Glenn. He’s real comfortable with me and he was like “If I had to pick, I’m picking you any day before any guys”, so that made me feel comfortable at that time but he’s given me other types of advice like while I’m at workouts staying low and being really explosive, on bag drills, different ways to flip your hips and stuff like that. He’s given me those tips and pointers that directly relate to football and it helps out a whole lot.

You mentioned that you think you’re still kind of underrated and you should be ranked higher. Are you out there, checking out and reading where people have you and checking out different mock drafts, is that something to pay attention to at all?

Jackson: I wouldn’t even consider that I should be rated real high, I wouldn’t say that. I am just saying that the things that I do, I don’t get respect for it because it’s not glamorous. I don’t go out there and get the big numbers because I play assignment, sound football. I do what I have to do, whatever the coaches ask me I go out there and give it one hundred and ten percent every down, so a lot of times I don’t get to pin my ears back and run up field and try to get sacks, but it is all for the good of the team. Last year we were one of the top defenses in the country and we won the National Championship, so if I reflect back on my college career I know that being real disciplined and being unselfish pays off in championships at the end. I just go out there and get my job done the best way that I can.

Is that something you learned while at LSU, because you played with a lot of talented guys so it was hard for one guy to stand out and be the man, so to speak, be the star...all you guys as a unit kind of learned that it is a team game, huh?

Jackson: Definitely, we learned that a long time ago when we were freshmen. Being at LSU you have a lot of talented guys, from LaRon Landry to Craig Davis to the Dwayne Bowes,’ Marcus Spears...a lot of talented guys walked through that football field, so you have to learn soon as you get to campus that you have to be a real team player and once you buy into that system, championships just start coming. Once you get that collection of talent together and everybody believes in that one common goal, nothing is impossible. We bought into that system since we got out there and from there we’ve been winning championship after championship.

Before you got on the air we were talking about different players and guys like Andre Smith. Who were some opponents that you faced in that tough and rugged SEC that really stood out to you, that were tough match-ups?

Jackson: I always played left defensive end so I wasn’t fortunate enough to go against guys like Andre Smith and Michael Oher, but talking to my teammates, the other defensive ends, they told me those guys were some of the best guys they went against. Believe it or not, I know other guys across the country are getting better recognition than those two guys from the SEC, but I know hands down any day of the week when comes down to real football players, I’ll pick those two offensive linemen over anybody in the country, just knowing who those guys go against every week in and out within the SEC. I know those guys can play football and they’re hard nosed players. Their stats might not look good as far as their forties and vertical jumps and all that, but when you are looking for a football player, who cares how fast an offensive lineman runs in the forty, you know what I’m saying? I didn’t have the privilege to go against those guys but the right tackle from Ole Miss is Peria Jerry’s younger brother (John), he was one of the real good offensive linemen that I went against this year.

So he’s somebody we should keep an eye out for next season? I think he was thinking about declaring but decided to return for his senior year. Tyson, I’m going to have to bust your chops a little bit because heading into last season, we were touting the Tigers on our college football show (College Football Insiders). We were talking about the defense, the ferocious front four, the depth you guys had, the linebackers and then... what happened? You guys had a few games where you gave up thirty-plus points, I was pretty stunned to be honest.

Jackson: Taking a beating within the SEC itself, injuries started to set in here and there on our defense, some that the public didn't know about. Guys weren’t one hundred percent, things just didn’t go our way and I have to give it up to teams in the SEC, real talented teams, teams like Ole Miss. I wouldn’t say they came out of nowhere because they were in our conference and we knew they were real good. This year they just turned it up a notch and games that we had in the palm of our hands, we just let it slip away like (games against) Alabama or Georgia, we let those games slip away. Even Florida—it was 18-21 going into halftime, so we had a lot of games within our reach we just weren’t able to capitalize and finish them off with the young team that we had, but it was all good. I ended my college experience on a real good note, beating Georgia Tech handily. We just dominated those guys in the Peach Bowl. I ended it on a positive note from there and I just hope to keep riding that wave through the draft process.

I hear that. It looked like you guys were a little p’ed off with the way the season went and you really took it out on the Yellow Jackets on December 31st, a good way to end the year. There are a lot of you guys leaving on both sides of the ball (Demetrius) Byrd, Herman Johnson on offense, yourself, (Darry) Beckwith, Ricky Jean-Francois on defense. Who is somebody we should be on the lookout for next year on LSU, a rising star for the Bayou Bengals?

Jackson: That is one thing you can always count on with LSU—you’re always going to have a rising star down there. Guys like Brandon LaFell and Ciron Black on the offensive line, Charles Scott in the backfield, upcoming freshman Jordan Jefferson...we're real talented at quarterback and on defense we have the MVP of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Perry Riley, coming back, and a real solid defensive line led by Rahiem Alem. The defense is going to be real, real strong again. It’s going to be another nice year for the Tigers. I’m expecting a lot of big things from those guys.

Is Rahiem going to be able to do it without you? You took up so much attention, having Tyson Jackson on the other side getting those double teams, how is he going to do next year without you?

Jackson: He is going to fare real good even though I left and I drew a lot of double teams. He’s just a real good guy and real fast off the edge, one of those two hundred and sixty pound players who’s real physical. The only thing I find different between him and guys coming up in this Draft is this guy can really play the run. I saw a lot of guys in this Draft who can play the run, but this guy plays it like he is two hundred and eighty or two hundred and ninety pounds and he’s only two-sixty, a real physical guy, so I’m expecting a lot of big things from Rahiem sack-wise and in tackles for loss. He's a real good football player.

Kirk Herbstreit from ESPN once called you a defensive freak. Did you play other sports in the past and if you weren’t a football player, what kind of athlete would you be?

Jackson: For a long time when I was young I was real tall and skinny. I could reflect back to when I was thirteen or fourteen, I was like six-three two hundred and thirty pounds, a real tall skinny guy and I thought for the longest time that I was going to be a basketball player. My one-time dream was always to play basketball for North Carolina, but once I got to high school I just started developing and started gaining more weight and became a real physical football player. If it wasn’t football I would have to definitely say it would’ve been basketball. I know a lot of time my coaches from high school wanted me to get out there and play baseball as a pitcher but I was so afraid of the ball at that time, I was so scared the ball was going to hit me, so I just stayed away from that sport. Basketball was one of my pastimes, which it still is today.

OK. Tysron...time for three-and-out... First down: Who is your favorite athlete outside of football?

Jackson: Michael Jordan.

Second down: Favorite movie of all time?

Jackson: Rocky.

Third down: Growing up as a kid, who was your favorite superhero?

Jackson: Batman .

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

Player Profile: LSU OG Herman Johnson

Pros: Johnson is the biggest player in this year’s class, standing almost 6’8 and weighing over 350 pounds. He was over 400 pounds before his freshman year at LSU, but he’s worked hard to get in the best shape possible and now looks much more athletic. His wingspan allows the offensive lineman to keep defenders away from his body. Despite being enormous, the former Tiger shows good agility and is surprisingly athletic for his size. He gets out of his stance quickly both on runs and in pass blocking. Johnson is a tough and intelligent player, as well as an intimidating one—he plays with a mean streak. He never looks lost or unsure of his responsibility. His stock is rising with talk of him possibly playing tackle at the NFL level. Scouts and coaches were pleased that he was willing to play both guard and tackle at the Senior Bowl.

Cons: He is quick for his size but probably not quick enough to handle playing left tackle. He struggles with quick defenders and is not exceptionally good at picking up linebackers at the second level. The former Bayou Bengal does not do well when asked to pull on sweeps due to his inability to get out in front of the runner. Johnson can get lazy at times with his blocks and can rely too much on his long arms to shield defenders.

Scouts Take: Johnson is a very interesting prospect because of his enormous size. He would probably excel as a guard but could benefit his team more if he can handle playing tackle. He struggled at the Senior Bowl when he played right tackle, but that was expected due to his lack of experience playing on the outside. He was a team leader and understands the team first concept, which is very important for a young player that is asked to switch positions. He played against top-notch competition in the SEC and held his own with some of the nation’s top interior defensive linemen. The LSU product will not be a good fit for every team, but expect Johnson to go somewhere in round two. With good coaching and the ability to learn quickly, Johnson should start for his team next season at either guard position or right tackle. He has the size and ability to be a future All-Pro.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

Player Profile: LSU S Curtis Taylor

Pros: Taylor has prototypical size for the safety position at 6’2”, 208 pounds—he has good bulk and a chiseled frame. It is very easy to notice Taylor on the field because of his big body and his ability to fly around. He reads and reacts quickly and has good speed to fill on runs. He shows good hands and is capable of making interceptions but more than anything else, NFL teams will be intrigued by Taylor’s ripped upper body and athletic ability—he passes the eye test.

Cons: He can be overly aggressive and relies too much on his strength and athletic ability to make plays. His quick reaction to runs is often overshadowed by his poor angles and inability to break down in the open field. He has the “hard hitter’s” mentality to fill on runs; therefore he is very vulnerable to play action and will give up big plays over the top. While his hands aren’t an issue, he isn’t a huge ball hawk. NFL scouts will not like the fact that he often goes for the big hit rather than making a play on the ball. He missed three games due to injury and when he returned, his playing time was cut due to younger players stepping up during his time injured.

Scout’s Take: Taylor replaced top-ten pick LaRon Landry after the 2006 season. He was a big part of LSU’s fierce National Championship defense. It looked like he had first day potential if he improved his game in a few areas during the 2008 season, but that did not happen as Taylor made mental mistakes and had trouble wrapping up ball carriers. If he cuts down the mental mistakes, he could be a nice addition to a defense. He should fall somewhere late in day two. More than likely he will make a team as a back up and special teams player. He should do very well covering kicks. With some good coaching and his strong work ethic, Taylor could be a day-two steal for the team that selects him.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

Decision Time: WR Brandon LaFell, LSU

LSU wide out Brandon LaFell has pulled out of the 2009 NFL Draft and will instead return to LSU for his senior season. All underclassman who declared and did not sign with an agent had 72 hours following the Thursday deadline to declare. He has 118 career receptions for 1,725 yards and 18 touchdowns, including 63 receptions for 929 yards and a SEC-leading eight touchdowns this past season. “We are extremely excited to have Brandon returning to the LSU football team for his senior season,” head coach Les Miles said on Sunday. “We were going to support him no matter what decision he made. We tried to give Brandon as much information as we could to help him with this decision, but ultimately it was a decision that Brandon and his family had to make. The news of Brandon coming back to school is big for our football team. His contributions to our football program have been very significant and I’m glad we are going to get another year with him.”

Mancini's Take: It sounds as though LaFell wanted to get a feel of where he was going to be drafted more than anything. What really baffles me here is that the LSU standout was ranked fifth among receivers entering the draft by a number of different services, making him second-round pick at worst. I think that LaFell can be faster version of Dwayne Bowe right now. Maybe LaFell thinks he can do better than that. This is a big roll of the dice, but one that can come up snake eyes.

Mandel's Take: Yeah, Rev--his hands were a problem this season, and might be why he--ahem--LaFell down the draft boards. He was wise to avoid hiring an agent and with his speed and size, all he needs to do is show the NFL scouts that his drops are a thing of the past. If he does so, he'll be a late first round pick after 2009.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

CFI RANKINGS: #6 LSU TIGERS

2007 RECORD: 12-2; SEC: 6-2
Won BCS Championship Game vs. Ohio St. 38-24
LOCATION: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
STADIUM: Tiger Stadium (92,400)
HEAD COACH: Les Miles
OVERALL: 62-27 (7 seasons)
AT LSU: 34-6 (3 seasons)

Oh those Tigers! The Bayou Bengals broke through last season under Les Miles and captured their second national title in five years. They did so by taking on eight ranked opponents, overcoming a pair of heartbreaking triple overtime losses, and refusing to be distracted by the Les Miles-to-Michigan rumors. Offensively, they were not as explosive in the passing game without JaMarcus Russell, who skipped his senior season to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Also falling off a bit was the defense, which was not as dominant as at was a year earlier (19.9 PPG in ’07; 12.6 PPG in ‘06). However, Tiger fans don’t care a lick--the only thing that matters in Cajun Country is that Les Miles and his team are national champs.

WHEN THE BAYOU BENGALS HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Gary Crowton (2nd Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 5
KEY LOSSES: Jacob Hester, Matt Flynn, Early Doucet, Carnell Stewart, Ryan Perrilloux (Dismissed from Team)

It appears that former Harvard junior varsity signal caller Andrew Hatch will be the starting quarterback in game one. Who will be under center when they travel east to take on Auburn in week four is anyone’s guess. The original plan was to have duel threat phenom Ryan Perrilloux take over, but he crossed the line one too many times, leaving Hatch and red-shirt freshman Jarrett Lee to battle for the starting role. Whoever leads the huddle will be well protected. Three likely All-SEC performers man the offensive line, with junior OT Ciron Black and senior OG Herman Johnson providing over 700 pounds of protection and C Brett Helms solid in the middle. Figuring out who will get the most carries is as difficult to decipher as the quarterback situation. In Keiland Williams, Charles Scott and Richard Murphy the Tigers possess three starting-caliber SEC backs, with Murphy providing the most speed. Throw in little man Trindon Holliday, a sprinter, and they have four backs that averaged between 6.6 and 7.2 yards per carry a year ago. They also are stocked at wide receiver. Demetrius Byrd could be the top senior receiver in the nation, Brandon LaFell is a burner, and true sophomore Terrance Toliver may be their most talented offensive player. TE Richard Dickson also has some ability.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) WR Demetrius Byrd (SR), 2) OG Herman Johnson (SR)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL

CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Doug Mallory (1st Season/4th at LSU)
CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bradley Dale Peveto (1st Season/4th at LSU)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 5
KEY LOSSES: Glenn Dorsey, Ali Highsmith, Craig Steltz, Jonathan Zenon, Chevis Jackson

The Tigers lose the nation’s top defensive lineman with Glenn Dorsey moving on to the league where they play for pay…but would you believe they won’t miss a beat? Just because Dorsey is no longer a Tiger does not mean those scouts have stopped coming to the Bayou. LSU is eight deep in legitimate pro prospects along the line with Bowl MVP Ricky Jean-Francois leading the way. Francois did not play until the SEC Championship game last season, so he is almost like a new addition. On the outside, Kirston Pittman was their top pass rusher a year ago and Tyson Jackson is an excellent two-way player. Junior DT Al Woods may have the most potential of all, but will have to earn his playing time. Darry Beckwith is back at the MIKE and will have two new starters flanking him, but most of their worries surround how they will replace both starting corners. True freshman Patrick Peterson (formerly Johnson) is the player creating the most buzz. They are stacked at safety with a quartet of playmakers led by FS Curtis Taylor, who brings size and speed to the defensive backfield.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) DL Ricky Jean-Francois (JR), 2) LB Darry Beckwith (SR)

THE SCHEDULE

You remember that team from the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) that went into the Big House and upset the Michigan Wolverines a year ago? Well Appalachian St. looks to knock off a top 10 FBS team for the second straight season when they take on the Tigers. An upset is unlikely, but they could be LSU’s toughest out of conference test. The SEC opener could decide the West Division, as the Tigers visit Auburn. That contest is the biggest on the LSU schedule and kicks off a difficult five-game stretch where the Bengals play at Florida, at South Carolina, and host the Georgia Bulldogs. Three top tens teams over six weeks is a tough stretch for any team and will show what these Tigers are made of.

PIVOTAL POINT

Quarterback: The Tigers should be as good, if not better, at every position on the offensive side of the ball other than the most critical spot—quarterback. Their offensive line is among the best in the nation, their backfield as deep as any and they have more than enough playmakers in the passing game. But will it matter? That is the pressure that is on Hatch to start the season. If Ryan Perrilloux, the expected heir apparent, had stayed out of trouble off the field the Tigers could very well be the No. 1 team in the country with eyes on a repeat. But Perrilloux is not here and now, all eyes will be on the new quarterback in Baton Rouge. The Bayou Bengals will go as far as their quarterback takes them.

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

The Tigers were the most talented team in America not only last season, but two years ago as well, and they very well may be this season as well. However, they have some questions they need to answer this year before they can be elevated to that status. Quarterback is the biggest one, but they are also breaking in several new starters on the defensive side of the ball, including a pair of unproven corners. Because of this upheaval, the Bayou Bengals will probably not repeat, but could be the most dangerous team in the nation by season’s end.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

BREAKING NEWS: HATCH UNDER CENTER

Who knew replacing Matt Flynn (pictured), seventh round pick and third string hopeful for the Green Bay Packers, would be more difficult than replacing former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell?

Next Level Scouting Inc., reports that Andrew Hatch is the favorite to be the starting quarterback for LSU following a closed scrimmage earlier this week. The 6'4 junior transferred to LSU from Harvard prior to the 2007 season. Hatch appeared in one game before suffering a shoulder ailment. He was granted a medical red-shirt.

Originally, he was slated to attend BYU to play for then Cougars head coach Gary Crowton, who moved on to Oregon before joining Miles at LSU as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator.

At Harvard, Hatch saw action with the junior varsity team as a freshman, before heading off for a two-year Mormon mission in Chile. While in South America, the Provo, Utah native injured his knee playing soccer before returning to the States.

Hatch, who has competed with freshman Jarrett Lee for the starting role, is considered equally adept at running and throwing the football. Although Lee has the better arm, Hatch’s overall skills with the ball are considered superior at this point.

The heir apparent was supposed to be highly touted Ryan Perrilloux, but he was dismissed from the team in the offseason.

The Tigers are scheduled to host Appalachian State, Saturday, August 30th.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

LSU coach Les Miles said his team isn't satisfied yet

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Les Miles isn't satisfied with LSU's West Division title in the Southeastern Conference, or the Tigers' rise back to No. 1 in the country.

Simply put, there's more work to be done.

``We enjoy being the West representative,'' the Tigers' coach said. ``But we have not accomplished what we want to accomplish. Nobody in our building is accepting any congratulations right now.''

Earlier this season, the Tigers won one game as the top-ranked squad before losing at Kentucky in triple overtime. LSU moved back to the top of the poll after routing Louisiana Tech 58-10 on Saturday, while Ohio State lost 28-21 to Illinois.

``We've been ranked highly all year long,'' Miles said at his media luncheon Monday. ``All our work is in front of us.''

The Tigers clinched a berth in the SEC championship game by virtue of losses by Auburn to Georgia and Alabama to Mississippi State.

The goal, however, is the BCS title game in New Orleans. LSU's final two games, against Mississippi on Saturday and at Arkansas on Nov. 23, appear to be very winnable. But Miles knows his team needs to be wary of a letdown.

While the Rebels (3-7, 0-6) haven't won a conference game this season, they nearly beat the Tigers last year. LSU had to rally to win in overtime.

``We expect the Ole Miss game to be a very competitive game,'' Miles said. ``We know we will get Ole Miss' best shot.''

The Tigers will finish the season on Nov. 23, at Arkansas (6-4, 2-4).

``At this time of the season, we have a chance to be at the top spot if we keep doing what we are supposed to be doing,'' Miles said. ``I understand what I have to do. I'm focused on the task at hand.''

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

CFI: THIS DATE IN HISTORY

Sept. 23, 2000: UAB, playing its second season in Conference USA, upsets LSU 13-10 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge behind head coach Watson Brown. It is the Blazers’ first triumph over a Southeastern Conference opponent and occurs on LSU’s Homecoming. Rhett Gallego decides the outcome with a 32-yard field goal on the game’s final play.