LSU football opens fall camp

LSU officially opened fall camp on Friday as head coach Les Miles welcomed 105 players, including 24 members of this year’s signing class, to campus.

The second-ranked Tigers practiced for the first time Saturday morning when the veterans hit the field at 9 a.m. followed by an afternoon session for the rookies and selected veterans.

Miles said that the Tigers reported back to campus physically fit after having a very productive summer in the weight room.

&#8220By all reports, our guys had a strong summer,” Miles said. &#8220They have been in the weight room and are in great shape.”

The No. 2 ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll is the highest preseason ranking for the Tigers since the inception of the poll in 1982.

&#8220Having high expectations puts everybody on the same page,” Miles said. &#8220Everybody in our program understands that if they do their role and perform that this team can accomplish great things.”

Miles also praised quarterback Matt Flynn for the work he put in during the summer, both in the weight room and during the teams’ voluntary workouts.

”Matt is a tremendous leader for our football team,” Miles said. &#8220What he has done off the field, the work he put in during the summer, how he approaches the seven-on-seven drills and how he works with the young guys, he has been terrific. I know he is looking forward to a great senior season.”

FOOTBALL FAN DAY SET

LSU’s annual football fan day is set for Sunday, Aug. 12, in Tiger Stadium.

Gates to Tiger Stadium open at 1:30 p.m.

Fans will be able to meet Mike the Tiger and the LSU cheerleaders from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

The LSU football team, along with head coach Les Miles and his coaching staff, will take the field at 2:30 p.m. and will be available for photos and autographs until 3:30 p.m.

The on-field setup will have the offense on the west side line, the defense on the east side line and the special teams players in the south end zone, with the coaching staff in the north end zone.

Fans can enter Tiger Stadium on the west side through portal A with field access being through gates 4 and 5.

Handicapped fans are asked to utilize gate 5.

Once in the stadium, the first 4,000 Tiger fans will be given Fan Day Gift Bags, which include an LSU football poster, a schedule card, a placard schedule poster and a schedule magnet.

LSU posters and schedule cards will be made available to all fans coming to fan day.

The LSU concession stands as well as the Tiger Gift Center will also be open on Sunday. The LSU Ticket Office will be open from 12:30 to 3 p.m. that day selling tickets to the LSU-Tulane game in the Louisiana Superdome on September 29.

Early Doucet and the LSU football team enter the 2007 season ranked second in the nation, according to a poll of coaches taken by USA Today. The Tigers’ ranking is the highest they’ve received since the poll’s 1982 inception. (Photo by STEVE FRANZ

• LSU)