LSU was the talk of the college football world after its convincing 33-17 victory against Miami on Sunday night in Arlington (Tex.).
The recognition poured in Tuesday.
The Tigers jumped from No. 25 to No. 11 in the Associated Press rankings. Linebacker Jacob Phillips and kicker Cole Tracy were the Southeastern Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Co-Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively.
Orgeron was happy at his weekly media luncheon Tuesday, but he was not jumping for joy. Orgeron had the demeanor of the coach of a team which is used to winning.
“I was very proud of the energy and the effort we played with against Miami,” Orgeron said. “Having no turnovers on offense was a phenomenal feat against a defense which prides itself on forcing turnovers.
“Our defense shut Miami down for the most part. We shut down their running game. We gave up just two explosive passes. Jacob Phillips played an excellent game. Grant Delpit played near the line of scrimmage and really rushed the passer. Overall, the defense played really well.”
The biggest area of concern for Orgeron was the efficiency of the passing game. Joe Burrow completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes (11-of-24). He passed for just 140 yards and was sacked twice.
“First, we struggled with our (pass) protection,” Orgeron said. “We were not as solid as a unit as we need to be. Joe was under duress. He did not have enough time. There were some busted routes. There were some dropped balls. Then, there were some throws behind (the receiver) and not on the money.”
Of course, the biggest news of the day were the injuries to outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson and offensive tackle Adrian Magee. Chaisson will miss the season due to an ACL injury in his left knee. According to Orgeron, Magee may be out for as long as three weeks.
Orgeron did offer some praise for Badara Traore, who replaced Magee, and center Lloyd Cushenberry, who made his first start.
“Badara did very well,” Orgeron said. “He made some mistakes, but he stepped in and did a good job. He showed maturity and physicality.
“I would give Lloyd an A+. I thought he played the best of the new offensive linemen. There was no nose tackle right over him, so he could use his quickness where he is his best. We’ll see how he does when he faces a nose tackle.”
Orgeron said that he hopes tight end Thaddeus Moss can play this week against Southeastern Louisiana. Safety Eric Monroe will be out again this week. Ray Thornton or Andre Anthony will replace Chaisson as the rush outside linebacker. Austin Deculus is now the primary backup at both guard and tackle.
