Another likely factor is LSU’s incoming recruiting class. By many accounts, the Tigers have a top three recruiting class coming in next year and, if you were to get rid of the head coach and his staff who recruited these high schoolers, the nation’s top recruits could look elsewhere.
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After the game, the players lifted Miles on their shoulders and carried him down the field toward the student section as the crowd chanted “Keep Les Miles! Fire Joe Alleva.” The banner was taken down after the first quarter. “For that to happen, there would have had to have been a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors”.
“I never thought it was valid to be questioning him as a head coach”, Alexander said.
Victory over Texas A&M (8-4, 4-4) did not come easily for the Tigers (8-3, 5-3), who trailed until Derrius Guice’s 50-yard scoring run in the third quarter.
“There has been quite a bit of speculation about our football coach”, Alleva said. “I made it very clear that my policy is to wait until the end of the season”. Both played 11 games in the regular season.
As the game ended, fans chanted, “Keep Les Miles!”. Another Miles staple surfaced in his watershed victory – a bad passing game. Brandon Harris was 7 of 21 for 83 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
Fournette ran for 159 yards and a touchdown. LSU defeated Florida 35-28.
Under Miles, LSU has lost five straight to Alabama and coach Nick Saban, starting with the Crimson Tide’s lopsided triumph in the 2011-12 national title game.
Miles’s reaction to his retention, however, was flawless.
“The motor seems to be pretty stinking strong”, Miles said of Fournette.
Simply put, we’re talking about one of the most palatable win-win situations of this century, relative to college sports. This gives Miles and the Tigers the spring to implement a new offensive system, one with greater run pass balance. For two weeks, speculation had been running rampant that Miles would be replaced following Saturday’s game against Texas A&M. LSU defensive back Donte Jackson recovered the fumble. Allen highlighted the 80-yard drive in seven plays with a 47-yard completion to wide receiver Josh Reynolds.
LSU running back Leonard Fournette ran for a 4-yard TD.
“It is kind of hard when the quarterback can’t set his feet and move the ball down field”, Sumlin said. Its defense held A&M to a mere 250 total yards.
“We are going to go forward and win championships”, said Alleva.
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“We love him”, defensive tackle Christian LaCouture said, “and he deserved it”. We are a pretty talented football team. Words were scribbled next to it: “Miles’ last stand. Hell of a coach”. “Do we want to consider change?”
