Just minutes after LSU defeated West Virginia 47-21, Les Miles stopped short of saying his Tigers deserve to be the No. 1 team in the nation.
But when you consider the September slate that his team just completed, it’s hard to argue against it.
“I like the position we are in right now,” Miles said. “I don’t think we are the No. 1 team right now, but I like what we’ve done.”
Damn straight.
LSU has played just one home game — a 49-3 win over Northwestern State — while opening the season 4-0.
The other wins are impressive.
A season-opening 40-27 thumping of Oregon in Dallas, a 19-6 win at Mississippi State and now the beat down of WVU.
“We showed up tonight in a very hostile environment, and you have to play,” he said. “West Virginia did a very good job, but our defense showed up to play and we got off to a nice start.”
LSU’s defense created five turnovers, including a huge interception by Tyrann Mathieu right before half. Two plays later Chase Clement punched in a touchdown to give the Tigers a 27-7 halftime lead.
Mathieu has played big all season and he was even better Saturday night in front of the national audience.
Another reason LSU is playing so well through the first month of the season is the consistent play of much-maligned quarterback Jarrett Lee. Does anyone at LSU miss Jordan Jefferson?
Lee wasn’t spectacular, but he played very well. He finished 16-of-28 for 180 yards and three touchdowns, including a 52-yarder to Odell Beckham.
LSU also withheld a serious challenge by WVU when Dustin Garrison scored on a 1-yard run to pull the Mountaineers within six points.
With the crowd beyond jacked, Morris Claiborne answered with a 99-yard kickoff return that all but sealed LSU’s third victory away from Death Valley.
“Morris Claiborne’s return was right on time, and we were able to finish it off. We made some mistakes, but we overcame that adversity,” Miles said. “(Claiborne) self-characterized himself in the first half as terrible, but knew he would come back.”
LSU tacked on two fourth-quarter scores as West Virginia’s defense wore down.
“Spencer Ware is a powerful guy. When Michael Ford comes in and has fresh legs, he looks pretty fast,” Miles said. “Spencer Ware has a lot to do with that.”
Miles and the Tigers can now get ready for three of the next four in Baton Rouge. Next week they get Kentucky followed by Florida.
However, Miles sounded like a guy who was starting to like these tough road games.
“We understand how we play, and it is going to be a hostile environment. When the crowd got jacked and we came back on the field, I knew we were going to play,” Miles said. “It was like they were having a football party and they invited us.”
