Jai Eugene is one of several LSU players that has changed positions this spring, moving from cornerback to safety. (Getty Images)
The LSU Tigers football team wrapped up their first week of spring practice on Saturday with a light scrimmage after spending most of the week working out without pads.
The Tigers opened spring practice on Monday with just helmets and shorts and didn't put on the pads until Thursday afternoon. Saturday afternoon gave the Tigers their first look at some live action and the players were excited to get back on the field.
"We’ve just been getting a picture of what (the coaches) want when the pads go on," defensive tackle Pep Levingston told the Baton Rouge Advocate. "But we want to be physical and a lot of guys are looking forward to that.”
Since spring practice has opened, the Tigers have moved a couple of players around, including offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale and cornerback Jai Eugene.
"We'll be moving guys around," head coach Les Miles said. "We're going to look at some different things. It's going to be a very productive spring."
Barksdale has moved from right tackle to left tackle and Eugene has moved from cornerback to safety. The Tigers announced before spring practice started that athlete Russell Shepard will play wide receiver in 2010.
In addition to those three changes, Livingston has been moved from defensive end to defensive tackle.
"Pep (Levingston) is a guy who we can use inside and outside," Miles said. "He can be very dominant at either one, but I want to see him a lot at tackle."
Miles, who has often been described as a coach who favors veteran players, also said that he will give the younger guys plenty of opportunities to win playing time this spring.
"I think that youth will be served in the spring," Miles said.
Re: LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 06 2010 20:09:46
Hey Poo, are yalls practices open to the public? Seems like there isn't a whole lot of info coming out of spring practice except the interviews after practice.
Re: LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 07 2010 03:29:17
ThePoo wrote:
not that im aware of
pretty sure there is only a small window of time where even the media is allowed to get a look
That's what I figured. It doesn't seem like there are many practice reports or articles coming out based on the actual practices rather than the pressers afterwards. I know a few SEC teams don't allow media access during the spring.
One of the more interesting ones is Mississippi State this year. The practice is open to the public, but not to the media...
Re: LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 07 2010 08:39:28
here is an article
"LSU football: Tigers get physical in spring practice
By Jim Kleinpeter, The Times Picayune
March 06, 2010, 2:11PM
The physicality LSU Coach Les Miles promised for the Tigers spring practice got underway Saturday when the team put on pads for the second time.
Not only did the run through a live scrimmage for about 40 minutes, but Miles introduced the Big Cat Drill, which he hopes will get his message across that the teams has to play more physical in 2010.
The drill has the team standing in circle and cheering as two of their mates go head-to-head inside the ring, offensive line men vs. defensive linemen, running backs vs. linebackers and receivers vs. defensive backs.
"It's a great way to get practice started," Miles said. "It's a physical presence, body control and being able to dominate your opponent. It's not necessarily disengagement, which is also part of football. It's when you hook up, pad under pad, strength and brute force.
"I'm the judge. It's the movement. If I take your body back, I won. I you take my body back, you won."
Miles said the defense and offense each won two of the matchups and two ended in ties. He also said it made for a more physical scrimmage which went "90-80 plays."
"I don't know that I saw a missed tackle," Miles said. "I saw some good hard runs, some push at the line of scrimmage, I saw guys getting pass rush."
Miles didn't give any specific details or stats from the scrimmage but he did say wide receiver Chris Tolliver caught a long touchdown pass from Jordan Jefferson of about "70 yards."
Safety Karnell Hatcher, defensive tackle Josh Downs and wide receiver Jhryn Taylor sat out the practice. Miles said Taylor has a hamstring injury and is focusing on academics. "I don't know that we'll expect him back," Miles said.
Linebacker Ryan Baker, who missed practice earlier this week, did participate."
Re: LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 07 2010 11:41:38
also reports that Chris tolliver looked like the best WR on the field, not to be confused with terrance toliver...i know we have been looking for a a 3rd receiver to step it up and i know many were execting it to be tolliver
also, the running back corps is ahead of pace...specifically Ford and Ridley
Re: LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 09 2010 19:14:01
That's probably my favorite football drill. We call them the "Circle of Life" drills. The whole team circles up around the two guys, hence the name. Tebow was always a monster at those drills. He came in as a freshman and would routinely beat our defensive linemen.
Re: LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 10 2010 18:44:38
Gonzales was always one of my favorite coaches. One thing I always noticed is that his guys seem to run great routes and it allows them to be open much more often than not. Just looking at some of his recent NFL products you have to be impressed. Three guys he coached at Florida were big-time NFL contributors this year - Andre Caldwell, Louis Murphy and Percy Harvin.
Re:LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 11 2010 14:58:46
I love the "Big Cat" drills... great way to kick off a physical practice. If everything is running as smoothly as they're letting on in Baton Rouge, then it sounds like the team is well ahead of schedule. I'm really anxious to see the RB's compete for the #1 spot.
Re:LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 11 2010 15:28:37
well, im sure the O-Line still has some work to do
im thinking you will see the RB stable per usual at LSU, if i had to guess now....id say 2 backs will get the heft majority like a williams/scott combo and a 3rd will get the ball maybe 3 times a game...kinda like murphy on 2007
right now it sounds like Ford and Ridley lead early
Sometimes, you ask a question with one thing in mind and get an answer you never expected.
Like yeseterday after practice when I asked Brandon Taylor if the safeties in 2010 would have a hard time replacing Chad Jones’ physicality.
“Nah, we’re laying the wood out there … even when we ain’t supposed to be,” Taylor answered proudly. “We’ve got a couple of safeties who got kicked out of practice today.”
And getting the early boot from Tuesday practice represents a positive step?
“Yea, that’s a good thing,” added Taylor.
Sure enough, as I walked out to the parking lot 10 minutes later, a passing-by Russell Shepard echoed the same sentiment without me asking a single question.
“We got a physical team, dog,” Shepard said in a matter of fact way.
Re:LSU Tigers finish first week of spring practice Mar 17 2010 20:58:21
I love when guys get kicked out for hitting too hard. South Carolina had that happen last year when someone knocked the eff out of Moe Brown.
Still, I think Major Wright's hit on Chris Rainey his freshman season was one of the best spring hits I've ever seen. I was there in person on this hit and this video doesn't do it justice. It was in half shells, too.
Football
