Kiffin Turns to Texas: LSU's Coach Talks Arch Manning, Collin Simmons and a Saturday Night in Death Valley
Two days after a 31-13 home loss to Alabama, LSU coach Lane Kiffin opened Texas week on Monday — praising Arch Manning, singling out Collin Simmons, and telling his team not to listen to the noise before the Longhorns arrive Saturday night.
AUSTIN — Texas's next opponent has begun its week. LSU coach Lane Kiffin met reporters on Monday to open preparations for Saturday night's game against the Longhorns at Tiger Stadium, two days after his Tigers lost at home to Alabama, 31-13, and fell to No. 24 in the Associated Press poll at 6-3.
Kiffin was asked about Texas quarterback Arch Manning, whose return to Louisiana is the week's obvious storyline. "I really enjoyed the time around Arch. Great kid. I think that's probably well documented," Kiffin said, as 247Sports reported from the press conference. On the Longhorns themselves, he pointed to a defense getting healthy at the right time of year and singled out edge rusher Collin Simmons as one of the premier players in college football; asked how LSU handles the Texas pass rush, he offered the honest version — get the ball out quickly and use screens — and kept the rest schematic.
The mood in Baton Rouge is the other half of the matchup. Kiffin called Saturday's Alabama result short of the program's expectations and said he spent part of Monday on a message for his team: "You can't listen to noise." LSU's questions, as the week opens, are offensive consistency, red-zone execution and finishing against top competition — with Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas left on the schedule and the Tigers' playoff hopes on life support.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC, in one of college football's hardest road environments, against a coach who knows the Texas staff well — Saturday reunites Kiffin with Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian. Texas's own week of preparation opens with the Moody Center crowd behind it tonight and Death Valley waiting at the end of it.
