LSU’s Ed Orgeron went from a Gatorade shower near the end of regulation in last year’s game at Texas A&M to searching for plays to run as LSU dropped a seven-overtime game to the Aggies.
“(Offensive coordinator Steve) Ensminger was on the headset: ‘Anybody got a two-point play?’” Orgeron recalled at his weekly press conference Monday. “In fact, because of that game, I put a period in on every Thursday, two-point plays and trick plays. So we practice two-point plays.
“We try to get two-point plays off of NFL teams. The spring league they had, there were nice little trick plays and stuff like that. So we have a repertoire now that we have enough if we get into battle that we're going to be ready.”
Orgeron and Tigers are particularly looking forward to this Saturday’s 6 p.m. kickoff in Tiger Stadium after last year’s heartbreaking loss. But the Tigers’ head coach said his team needs to put those emotions aside.
“We thought that we won the game three or four times,” Orgeron said. ”We didn't, obviously, but you know, that's last year so we've got to let that thing go, and we've got to focus on this year.
“Last year don't matter. There's different players on this team. There's different players on their team, just like when we played Alabama. Those last eight games didn't matter. This is about this year, about focusing in on this team.”
This year’s Texas A&M team will present just as bigs of a challenge, Orgeron said. The Aggies are only allowing 20 points per contest and averaging over 400 yards per game on offense.
“(Quarterback) Kellen Mond, Isaiah Spiller, running back, big receivers… They gave us problems last year,” Orgeron said. “They're back. They're good, led by Jhamon Ausbon. A very, very challenging task for our defense.”
LSU’s defense should be boosted by the return of safety Grant Delpit who sat out the Tigers’ 56-20 against Arkansas. Orgeron said the standout defensive back is “full speed.”
“He's going to work out today and he's going to practice every day this week,” he said. “I think the rest helped him.”
Freshman safety Maurice Hampton started in place Delpit and tallied six tackles in the win against Arkansas.
“ I think he did some really good things,” Orgeron said. “The first play was the same play that Ole Miss ran against us. He made a tackle, which was a nice tackle, saved it from making a big play.”
Orgeron also apologized for comments he made following Saturday’s win. Orgeron said the Tigers weren’t going to celebrate a win against the 2-9 Razorbacks.
“There was a comment I made after the game and I want to apologize if it came out wrong to Arkansas,” he said. “I love them. I had a great time up there. I have some good friends up there. By no means was that to demean them, that was just the mood of our football team, and we have bigger goals down the road.
“So if I said something wrong, I apologize to them. I know those guys are some good guys up there. Really appreciate those guys.”
