by Michael Bonnette, Associate AD/Sports Information Director
BATON ROUGE -- LSU continued to prepare for Saturday’s Southeastern Conference Western Division showdown with third-ranked Alabama with a two and a half hour practice here Wednesday at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.
LSU and Alabama will square off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in Tuscaloosa in a game that will be televised nationally on CBS. LSU goes into the game with a 7-1 overall mark and a 4-1 league record. The Crimson Tide stands at 8-0 overall and 5-0 in conference play.
LSU must win against Alabama to keep its chances for the SEC Western Division title alive. A win by Alabama over LSU clinches the SEC Western Division title and a berth in the league’s championship game for the Crimson Tide.
“I like the team’s preparation,” LSU coach Les Miles said following Wednesday’s workout. “It was a good practice today, maybe a little too much contact. We’re preparing well but we’re not there yet. It’s Wednesday and we have a couple days to get fully prepared, but I like where we’re at.”
Against Alabama, the Tigers will face a Crimson Tide team that features one of the nation’s top defenses, allowing just 11.4 points, 240.6 total yards and 64.6 rushing yards per game. Offensively, Alabama is averaging 31 points, 410 total yards and 217 rushing yards per game.
“I think it’s a great challenge,” Miles said of LSU’s game against Alabama. “It’s a compliment to your competitor that you play your best. I think your best opponents bring out the best in you, and I think our guys look forward to playing well. It’s a rivalry; it’s an opportunity; it’s a big game; it’s fun.”
Miles said that for the Tigers to have success against the Alabama defense, LSU will have to play smart on the offensive side of the football.
“We have to be smart because they are a very opportunistic defense,” Miles said. “We have to throw it where they aren’t and we have to have ball security when we run it. We just have to be smart.”
LSU will continue its preparation for the Crimson Tide on Thursday afternoon with a shells (helmets and shoulder pads) workout followed by a walk-through on Friday. The Tigers will depart for Alabama on Friday afternoon.
