Les Miles knew what he was up against.
He knew how prolific Oregon’s offense was — that the Ducks returned Heisman candidate LaMichael James and breakout star quarterback Darron Thomas and boasted a defense that, in his words, “is as difficult to attack as any.”
He understood all of that. What he didn’t know was that his team would have to face all of this without its leader, senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson, and backup linebacker Josh Johns.
Jefferson and Johns were suspended indefinitely after being charged with second degree battery in the aftermath of a bar fight, leaving Miles scrambling to prepare the Tigers with backup quarterback Jarrett Lee at the helm.
It certainly wasn’t the ideal way to prepare for such an important season-opener, but Miles and the Tigers have done their best to move on.
“It is just about going forward and going with a little bit different cast of characters,” Miles said. “There are some things we can control and some things that we can’t. Right now there are two that aren’t in the huddle. We’ll line up and play in their absence.”
The spotlight, of course, will be on Lee. The senior does not lack for experience, having played in 12 of LSU’s 13 games last year. He started in eight games back in 2008, throwing for 1,873 yards and 13 touchdowns while also totaling an alarming 16 interceptions.
His time in Baton Rouge has been nothing if not uneven, but his teammates profess to have full confidence in him. Sophomore running back Spencer Ware, who is set to start alongside Lee on Saturday, took the quarterback aside during practice and laid out what his teammates expected of him.
“We gotta do this,” Ware said to Lee. “We’ve gotta make the throws, we’ve gotta make the reads, we’ve gotta make the checks. We’ve gotta rise to the occasion. Not just you, all of us.”
Lee, according to Ware, said little in response other than, “Yeah, yeah.”
“J. Lee doesn’t really say much,” Ware said. “Gave his little nod.”
Miles, for his part, is confident that Lee can perform on the big stage.
“I think in the three games that he played significant football a year ago, he showed poise,” Miles said. “He threw the touchdown pass at the end of the game against Florida. He was responsible for the drive that came down at the end of the game to beat Tennessee. And he made a third and long play late in the Alabama game that depicts a guy that plays in pressure situations.”
This time, Lee will face off with an Oregon defensive unit that has Miles raving.
“I think this is as talented of a team that we’ve seen,” Miles said. “They have speed at all of the key positions. They play outside linebackers that are very fast on the edge. Their safeties have the speed.
“They match up with the fastest teams that we will line up against.”
Although Lee is a veteran of LSU’s offense, younger players like Ware will start for the very first time against Oregon. For his part, junior wide receiver Rueben Randle is looking forward to seeing what the underclassmen do on the big stage.
“I’m really excited to see the young guys come out and make plays,” Randle said. “I’m pretty sure they’re not going to let me down.”
Should the Tiger offense struggle, it may be up to Miles’ heralded defense to pick up the slack. In reviewing how fellow Southeastern Conference school Auburn approached the Oregon offense in the BCS National Championship Game last January, Miles took note of a few trends.
“There are some similarities between our defense and (Auburn’s) when looking at the game,” Miles said. “Their front four really made enough negative plays and made it sticky to run inside. It changed the course of the game, in some regard.”