2014 Season Preview 10 Years of Les Miles and Expanded Tiger Stadium Highlight 2014 The winningest program in the nation’s toughest conference since 2005 goes into its 10th year under Les Miles in 2014 as LSU returns 16 starters from a squad that reached the 10-win mark for a school-record fourth consecutive year in 2013. In nine years under Miles, the Tigers have posted a 95-24 overall mark, claimed a pair of Southeastern Conference titles, reached the BCS national championship game twice, winning the title in 2007 with a 38-24 victory over Ohio State. The Tigers have appeared in a bowl game every year under Miles, winning six of those games, most recently beating Iowa, 21-14 in the Outback Bowl. Miles enters the 2014 season just five wins shy of reaching 100 for his LSU career. He also becomes just the third coach in LSU history to reach the 10-year mark as coach of the Tigers, joining the winningest coach in school history Charles McClendon (137 wins in 18 years) and Bernie Moore (89 wins in 13 years). In addition to the Miles milestone, LSU will open the expanded South Endzone in 2014 as Tiger Stadium capacity will go over 100,000 for the first time. The South Endzone expansion features 70 suites, 3,075 club level seats and another 1,500 regular seats.
INTRO
2014 LSU Football Notes of Significance • 95 wins since 2005 (first in SEC, No. 2 in nation) • 81 straight weeks in AP Top 25 (school-record, second-longest streak in nation) • 66 straight games played as a Top 25 team (school-record) • 45 straight non-conference regular-season wins (nation’s longest streak) • 14 straight bowl appearances (school-record) • 14 straight years of at least 8 wins (nation’s longest active streak) • 4 straight years of at least 10 wins (school-record)
The LSU Offense The Tigers return six starters on offense, including four on the offensive line, from a unit that put together one of the most productive seasons in school history in 2013. Under first year offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, LSU averaged 35.8 points and racked up 453.3 total yards (202.3 rushing, 251.0 passing) as the Tigers became the first team in SEC history to feature a 3,000-yard passer (Zach Mettenberger), two 1,000-yard receivers (Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry) and a 1,000yard rusher (Jeremy Hill). LSU also led the nation in third-down conversions at 57 percent. LSU had seven offensive players picked in the 2014 NFL Draft, including a trio of wide receivers led by Beckham Jr., who was the 12th overall pick. The Tigers offense is expected to feature a blend of youth and veterans in 2014 as a number of freshmen skill players, including quarterback Brandon Harris, running back Leonard Fournette, and wide receivers Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn, will be counted on to contribute. Senior offensive tackle La’el Collins returns as one of the top linemen in college football, and he will anchor a Tiger line that returns four starters. Senior running backs Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard have combined for nearly 1,900 yards and 29 touchdowns, while the only quarterback on the roster with any experience at the position in an LSU uniform is sophomore Anthony Jennings, who made one start and nine appearances as a true freshman in 2013.
Quarterback
Running Back
LSU will feature a new quarterback in 2014 as the Tigers will count on sophomore Anthony Jennings (6-2, 211, So.-1L) and true freshman Brandon Harris (6-3, 183, Fr.-HS) to direct the offense. Jennings and Harris bring a similar style to the game as both players have the ability to make plays with their feet. Jennings is more adept in the short-passing game, while Harris thrived in the vertical passing game during his high school career. Jennings appeared in nine games as a true freshman, earning a start in the Outback Bowl win over Iowa following a season-ending injury to senior Zach Mettenberger. Jennings was pressed into action in the season-finale against Arkansas and directed the Tigers on a 99-yard game-winning scoring drive with less than two minutes remaining in the contest. Jennings, who saw most of his action on shortyardage situations, completed 13-of-29 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown. Jennings also rushed for a pair of scores in his first year with the Tigers. Harris graduated from high school in December and joined the Tigers for spring practice where he quickly established himself as a viable first-year option for the Tigers at quarterback. Harris brings natural leadership to the field along with a confident demeanor not often seen in young players. Jennings and Harris are expected to both get snaps for the Tigers in 2014 with a starter not likely to be determined until the end of preseason camp.
Despite losing one of the top running backs in the SEC last year in Jeremy Hill to the NFL Draft, the Tigers return a pair of dependable seniors in Terrence Magee (5-9, 214, Sr.-2L) and Kenny Hilliard (6-0, 233, Sr.-3L) Magee, a shifty runner who is versatile enough to lineup at slot receiver or even quarterback, was second on the team with 626 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013. Hilliard, a punishing runner who thrives in short-yardage situations, leads all LSU backs with 1,110 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career. Magee and Hilliard will be joined in the backfield by the most heralded running back recruit in Louisiana history as Leonard Fournette (6-1, 224, Fr.-HS) makes his long-awaited LSU debut this year. Fournette was the consensus No. 1 prep player in America as a senior in 2013, and he joins the Tigers after rushing for 7,619 yards and 88 touchdowns in high school. Fournette has all the tools to be the next great LSU running back as he has a blend of size, speed, strength to go along with a very high football IQ. Darrel Williams (5-11, 209, Fr.-HS), another highly-touted signee out of New Orleans, will add to the depth at running back. Williams rushed for 2,201 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior in high school.
Fullback The fullback position will continue to play a prominent role in the LSU offense, and the Tigers return one of the players who has been the most consistent at the position in recent history in senior Connor Neighbors (5-11, 239, Sr.-2L). Neighbors is a solid blocker who is also comfortable with the football in his hands. He’s a pass-catching threat out of the backfield while also being a viable part of
the running game. Neighbors will be backed up by sophomore Melvin Jones (6-3, 245, So.-1L) another athletic fullback who played quarterback and linebacker in high school.
Wide Receivers The Tigers will have to replace three NFL Draft picks, which included the first 1,000-yard tandem in school history in Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, at wide receiver. A year ago, Landry and Beckham Jr. combined to catch 136 passes for 2,345 yards and 18 touchdowns. LSU’s top returning receiving threat is sophomore Travin Dural (6-2, 182, So.-1L), who caught seven passes for 145 yards and two scores. Dural’s biggest moment last year came when he hauled in the game-winning 49-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter in the victory over Arkansas. Dural possesses a long stride with breakaway speed. Senior Quantavius Leslie (6-4, 175, Sr.-Sqd) is the only other receiver in the roster with a catch to his credit as he had one reception for 11 yards in 2013. A trio of redshirt freshmen will be counted on to contribute this year as John Diarse (6-1, 207, Fr.-RS), Kevin Spears (6-3, 189, Fr.-RS) and Avery Peterson (6-1, 180, Fr.-RS) all add to the depth at wide receiver for the Tigers. The influx of perhaps the best wide receiving signing class in school history is expected to make an immediate impact for the Tigers. Malachi Dupre (6-3, 188, Fr.-HS), who was rated as the No. 1 player at the position in high school, gives the Tigers a big target with tremendous hands and athletic ability. Dupre won the state title in all three jumps – long, triple and high – as a junior in 2013. Trey Quinn (5-11, 192, Fr.-HS) set the national record for high school receiving yards with 6,566 and will be a likely candidate at the slot receiver spot for the Tigers. Tony Upchurch (6-2, 228, Fr.-HS) and D.J.
2014 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE
LSU
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