Daily Reveille

Issue date: 7/24/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Erin Parker

HOOVER, Ala. - LSU is not defending its national title - not according to coach Les Miles.

"'08 is where we're at," Miles said Wednesday. "We're not defending. We're not dealing with rankings. This is a brand new year. If we're defending, come see the trophy, it's in our trophy case. We're not defending it; it's there."

Senior defensive end Tyson Jackson shared the same sentiment.

"If we don't, playing in this conference, we'll be 0-11 in a heartbeat," Jackson said. "It's only right that we forget about it and move forward."

Moving on from 2007 was the first among many issues Miles talked about in his opening statement at the Southeastern Conference Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala.

One of the next issues he discussed was a question on most LSU fans' mind - who the Tigers' starting quarterback will be when they open their season Aug. 30 against Appalachian State.

Miles didn't have a definite answer for that question.

"Jarrett Lee, Andrew Hatch, both guys had good springs," Miles said. "Both guys are learning the offense. They had an entire summer of study where the receiving core, gathered them, ran the passing that we run, really helped identify to our quarterbacks where they're going to be."

Miles also briefly addressed the situation regarding former LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, who was kicked off the team May 3 because of disciplinary issues.

"Any time you get rid of a student-athlete, it's not something that you enjoy," Miles said. "I certainly wish him the very best and hope that he takes this lesson and goes on."

But Miles spent most of his time talking about the strengths of his team, primarily the offensive and defensive lines.

Even with the loss of All-American defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey, Miles said he expects the defensive line to be one of the best in the country.

"[Dorsey] was really one of the very strongest defensive leaders that we had," Miles said. "I don't know that that piece of Glenn Dorsey will be replaced … But I think our front is awfully talented, and I think that as a group they may play as well statistically as that defensive front did a year ago."

The defensive line is led by Jackson and junior Ricky Jean-Francois. Jackson was named Coaches' preseason first-team All-SEC, and Jean-Francois was the 2008 Bowl Championship Series National Championship game's Defensive Most Outstanding Player.

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