Miles says LSU just a tad off elite status
BATON ROUGE — LSU coach Les Miles will likely not watch the Southeastern Conference Championship Game Saturday afternoon between No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Alabama, which is a virtual semifinal national championship playoff of the undefeated.
Miles’ Tigers, which ended a moderately successful but criticism-laced regular season with a flourish Saturday night in a thrilling, 33-30 overtime victory over Arkansas, were within reach of victories over both SEC titans.
The Tigers (9-3, 5-3 SEC) were within a touchdown of Florida for much of the second half on Oct. 10 before falling 13-3. They led Alabama early in the fourth quarter on Nov. 7, but it lost 24-15 after losing starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson and tailback Charles Scott in the third quarter to injuries while star cornerback Patrick Peterson was in and out of the game with cramps. An interception by Peterson in the fourth quarter was also not ruled correctly by game officials. Alabama retained possession, negating a chance for LSU to drive for the winning touchdown in the final minutes.
Shreveport Times
11/30/9
