LSU notebook: Orgeron confident a victory is coming, shakes hands with Tua

BATON ROUGE, La. — Ed Orgeron can’t offer up too many specifics.

Glimpses of the game plan are off-limits, but he’s quick to provide scouting reports on Alabama and remind all those who will listen that this game will be decided in the trenches. He has a surprising amount of confidence for what the scoreboard will read when the clock strikes midnight in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night.

“We're going to go to win the game, I can tell you that,” Orgeron said on Monday during his weekly press conference. “We're going to figure out a game plan that fits this week, a game plan that fits the team. We haven't figured that out yet.”

Game plans are still being formulated, but there’s plenty of research already in the coaches’ hands.

LSU’s wealth of analysts have been reviewing No. 1 Alabama, game by game, season by season — since the summer. The information dates back to last season and there are chunks of insight on each of the Tide’s eight victories thus far.

There’s also plenty to digest on LSU’s 24-10 in Bryant-Denny Stadium this time a year ago, a game separated by 11 points at halftime and entering the fourth quarter. It’s being studied by not only defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, but lead analyst Kevin Coyle, who has been coaching for four decades, including stints as an assistant and a coordinator in the NFL since 2001.

“We are breaking down every game that Alabama played last year. We have a breakdown on every game they played this year,” Orgeron began. “We know what hurts them. We know what they do very well. He (Coyle) brings a wealth of knowledge, especially in the back end. Him and (safeties coach) Bill Busch have been excellent additions to our team.

“Last year we played the run very well against Alabama. They exploited us in the passing game. I feel with the additions of Bill Busch, Kevin Coyle, Corey Raymond and Dave (Aranda) we are much more suited to play their passing game this year.”

The advanced scouting reports have drummed up confidence leading up to this battle of Nos. 1 and 4.

The last time these two rivals met in Baton Rouge, it was the same head coach and same offensive coordinator — except both were coaching for their jobs. Orgeron and Steve Ensminger led on an interim basis, and admittedly, lacked confidence and a sense of identity.

Two years later, the 7-1 Tigers have flashed some of their potential — in wins over top-10 teams such as Miami, Auburn and Georgia. They’ve cruised past top-25 opponents in Ole Miss and Mississippi State with ease, and even escaped with victories when they’ve struggled.

To beat Alabama, the team will need to be perfect, Orgeron conceded. There’s a sense that it’s certainly achievable.

“The team that you seen the last couple (of games) is us,” he said. “Obviously, we're going to have to do a couple of different things because they're very good on defense and they know exactly what we're doing. There's going to be a couple of changes this week that we're going to have to give them to keep them off guard.

“I think this team is mature enough to understand that all they got to do is play their best to beat Alabama. If we play our best, we're capable of doing that. We feel that already. Now we have to go out and do it.”

Orgeron made perhaps its best move of the off-week by showing up in Nick Saban’s backyard.

LSU’s coach was spotted by ESPN cameras at the nationally televised game between Alabama high school powerhouses Hewitt-Trussville and Thompson, where several members of the Crimson Tide’s 2019 and 2020 recruiting classes were jawing on the field. That includes Taulia Tagovailoa, with his older brother watching from the sidelines.

The ESPN cameras caught Orgeron walking past Tua and shaking the Alabama signal-caller’s hands. NCAA rules prohibit Orgeron from getting deep into conversation with a family member of a recruit, but he had a message for the sophomore quarterback that’s the focus of his defensive game plan.

“It was great,” Orgeron said. “Obviously I couldn't speak to him because he's family. Just introduced myself and told him, ‘Hey, you're one of the best players in the country, see you later.’ That was it.

“It's not a contact period, so you can only have a bump, so I didn't speak to him long. He was very respectful, obviously. I thought it was a great game, it was a great atmosphere, great players. I enjoyed being there.”

As Orgeron exchanged pleasantries with Tua, Taulia led Thompson High to an electrifying comeback against Hewitt-Trussville. Faced with a 28-point deficit, the younger Tagovailoa accounted for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns to notch a 63-29 victory on senior night.

The game featured Tagovailoa as well as 4-star tackle Amari Kight and 2022 defensive end Jeremiah Alexander, who LSU offered last week. On the other side, Paul Tyson, the great-grandson of former Tide coach Bear Bryant, was behind center. That team also includes Pierce Quick, Dazalin Worsham, Malachi Moore, Eric Taylor and Justice Finkley, who are all on Orgeron’s board.

Orgeron and his staff were scattered not only in Alabama, but across Louisiana and parts of the entire country.

“We had a very positive week in recruiting,” he said. “Our guys were out recruiting on Friday -- Thursday night, Friday and Saturday. We saw a lot of top recruits, guys that can really help us win championships.”

Continuing right where he left off, there are two players vying to start in place of Devin White on Saturday: Patrick Queen and Micah Baskerville.

Queen, a sophomore, will continue to battle the true freshman to start at ROVER as White waits in the locker room to return for the second half. Baskerville’s lone start came earlier in October in LSU’s loss to Florida.

“Probably out of Patrick and Micah … we're not decided on that yet,” Orgeron repeated. “But Damone Clark is a good young player. He's not ready yet. It’ll probably be either Patrick or Micah.”