Miles touts optimism for 2012 season

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His customary hat wasn’t on his abnormally large head. It was instead swapped with a neatly trimmed comb-over showing off his mixed gray and brown locks.

The trademark gameday windbreaker was also missing from the scene — that was traded in for a suit and tie.


Despite missing his usual attire, LSU coach Les Miles was in Thibodaux last Tuesday for the 2012 Tiger Tour.


Prior to addressing the hungry, purple and gold clad Thibodaux Civic Center audience, the national championship winning coach spent some time with TPT sports editor Casey Gisclair.

Among the topics discussed were LSU’s 2012 team, conference realignment and local players Chase Clement, Trey Granier, Kenny Hilliard and Lorenzo Phillips.


Casey Gisclair: Start with the obvious question every Tiger fan wants to know. How would you describe the 2012 version of the Tigers in your eyes with the season right around the corner?


Les Miles: I like where we’re at. I think we’re, one, healthy and, two, I think our defense is going to be very dominant. I think we’ll have as good of defensive ends as there are in the country. I think our corners are an area of strength. With the safeties, I think [Eric] Reid will be the finest safety in the country. I think there’s a real quality group of linebackers that can step in there and play. Defensively, we’re ready to put a real quality group on the field. Offensively, we’ll have experience in the offensive line. Tight end, as you know, another guy comes back with great experience. Our receiving corps, there’s probably more chemistry in our receiving corps with the ability to throw the ball going through the spring than any time I’ve been around [LSU]. We have the same experience at running back and at fullback. I think I like us. … I think we’re going to take a very similar run than the one we had last year.

CG: Talk about speaking engagements like this one. How much do you enjoy speaking to LSU faithful around the Southeast?


LM: I love people that are loyal to their school. There’s no more greater loyalty than this group. You come down here and it’s all about LSU. I like that.


CG: Talk about some local guys from the Thibodaux area, Trey Granier and Chase Clement. How do they factor into the team’s plans in 2012?

LM: Chase is going to give us great leadership and just good, quality play in his final campaign. Trey is going to give us a very youthful approach at Mike linebacker. He’s very physical. He has good speed. We’re going to enjoy him, as well. … I know what I’m going to see with him. I’m going to see physicality and speed and the ability to play. He needs to develop his football skill in terms of how we do things. I would expect that he would play a lot of football right away in special teams, which is where a lot of our better linebackers have made their mark.”


CG: What about other locals like Patterson standouts Kenny Hilliard and Lorenzo Phillips?


LM: Obviously, Kenny’s done a great job as a freshman. And Lorenzo Phillips, in my opinion, will be that guy who will have an opportunity to play very quickly. He plays with great speed and he uses his hands well. He’s going to develop, but he’s another guy who can play a lot as a freshman, as well.”

CG: So is it safe to assume we know how to play a little football down here?


LM: Correct. They play a rough and rugged style of football. I love it.

CG: Shifting gears a little bit to an old Tiger standout. Tell me what went through your mind when you heard the Cowboys had traded up to get cornerback Morris Claiborne? Obviously, with you having been an assistant there in the past, that’s a special place in your heart, right?

LM: I was really excited. The Cowboys have certainly been really kind to me, and I wanted them to have every opportunity at the best. And I think Mo is the best. I’m glad they traded up to get him. It’s going to be fun watching Mo in one of those Cowboy uniforms. One of our own will be toting around a star. What an amazing thing.

CG: And he’ll have a chance to matchup with good friend and teammate Rueben Randle now, right?

LM: That’s exactly right, isn’t it? That’d be an exciting matchup, wouldn’t it?

CG: It sure would, coach. Speaking of exciting matchups, you guys will be adding Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC this year. Talk about the SEC’s expansion.

LM: I think they are both very quality teams. I think they will provide us with more competition in an already very competitive league. I think the adjustment will be more theirs than ours. I think that, as a league, we see wonderful competition week-in and week-out. I think that they’ll recognize that now, week after week, they are lining up against really, really quality teams. I think it’ll help the league, and it’ll also be a real opportunity for those guys.

CG: This expansion thing has really taken college football by storm, hasn’t it?

LM: I’m kind of a traditionalist. I like to see some of the traditional matchups. So that they are not there, now, you’ll have to get those in bowl games.

CG: So in such a downtime, you’ve got to be excited to get back to work, right?

LM: It’s an exciting and anxious time. For me, I want to get to summer. I want to get the team back and get them going.

CG: So is it safe to say the goal is to get back to the championship game?

LM: That’s the plan. And that’s really the plan since I’ve been here. It’s year-in and year-out, we’re awfully close. Last year, we were in the last game. We had the best record in college football, 13-1. That was the finest record in all of college football. I have to say, we accomplished quite a lot – and with more to do.

LSU coach Les Miles talks to fans following the 2012 Tigers Spring Game. Miles said he is excited for the 2012 season. 

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