Saturday proved quite a few things to the college football audience.
The first was that University of Arkansas' Casey Dick is a better backup quarterback than LSU's Matt Flynn.
The second was that Pennsylvania State University coach Joe Paterno is immortal after a collision with the Nittany Lions tight end Andrew Quarless did not snap the 79-year-old in half but only damaged his knee.
But the third and most shocking was LSU coach Les Miles has an emotional side.
Miles gave officials an ear full Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn., and he even got a sideline warning.
CBS sports commentator Tracy Wolfson got a question cut off by an explosive Miles after halftime.
Thank goodness it wasn't me, but I still had tears in my eyes from sympathy pain for Wolfson - it happens to the best of us.
But the tears were there, more importantly, because it's the closest Miles has resembled former coach Nick Saban since the almighty skipped out of Baton Rouge after the 2004 season.
For those of you who, like my grandad, had given up on LSU at the half after being down by 10 points allow me to revisit Miles' responses to Wolfson's questions.
On being 0-2 on the road: "I don't give a damn about that. Our team is worried about winning this game."
On how to bounce back in the second half: "Play our asses off!"
The majority of that was bleeped out, but it didn't take much to decipher and neither did most of his vocal tantrums on the sidelines - mostly to the refs and sometimes to his players.
After the shock wore off, one question still remained. Why the sudden change of attitude?
After being accused of being a "soft coach," Miles said at his press conference after the University of Kentucky game that there were a lot of things that made him tick.
So what was present this Saturday that hasn't been before against say Auburn University or the University of Florida?
Obviously bad calls don't push his buttons. Recall the Auburn game late in the fourth quarter - passing interception call, then pass tipped and then the call turned around. Huh?
At Florida, LSU made enough mistakes to beat itself up and not one player had Miles in his face - at least not on the field.
Saturday night Miles did not just tick on the sidelines but flipped out with a microphone in his face for the entire sports world to hear.
There's can only be one answer as to why - fear.
Tennessee was a make or break game for the Tiger's season and seemed to be the moment of truth for Miles and his potential as the LSU coach.
Sure he has had success in his coaching career in the Big-12 Conference, but after a 0-2 record on the road this season, questions have been raised whether he is a Southeastern Conference caliber coach. Maybe this game would decide if he would be chased out of town.
A threat of 0-3 on the road was enough to provoke the mood change of Miles' usually stone-faced demeanor.
After an apology about his "own" halftime performance, Miles still was fired up in postgame interviews with the media.
With two more home games and a tough away game against Arkansas to wrap up the season, more of this side of Miles may still creep up.
Whichever persona Miles decides to show come game day, one thing is for sure - he has to keep winning.
----- Contact Tabby Soignier at tsoignier@lsureveille.com



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