Clyde Edwards-Helaire didn't know what was happening.

No. 4 LSU was preparing for a rare 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday to open SEC play at Vanderbilt.

And, as coach Ed Orgeron joked last week, strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt and his staff found a way to provide some early-morning energy.

"Man! Man, this past Saturday kinda freaked me out," the junior running back said. "Connor Neighbors came out of the blue and hit Moffitt in his back with a chair — like, smoked him, BOP! And everybody was like, 'What the hell!?'"

"And it got quiet. And he looked around and saw who it was and turned around again, 'Hit me again!'

"I said, 'Man, what!? This is enough for me. As long as you don't swing that chair at me, I'm good.' But yeah, not even plastic like this. Like a full, brown, metal chair, foldable — smacked him right across the back — BOP!"

Was the moment staged?

"Maaaan, no!"

Did Moffitt fall down?

"Nope... (Neighbors) hit him. He turned around, saw who it was and said, 'Hit me again!'"

Edwards-Helaire said the Tigers are used to the long-time strength coach and his staff building towers out of Monster and Red Bull energy drinks and finding ways to impart that enthusiasm to the players.

And metal folding chairs have become a recurring part of that process.

"He kind of started the chair thing last year, " Edwards-Helaire said. "They were tossing a chair around last year, and I mean, this chair had no chance — I mean, no chance. And we were putting stickers on it and whatnot.

"But the Texas game (Sept. 7), it was pretty much the same situation. I mean, this chair was getting hit against the wall. They're kicking this chair. It was like this chair did something personally to him and everybody started jumping the chair ... I don't think the chair made it back.

"I couldn't tell you where the chair came from. I know it was a normal-looking chair at first, and by the time we left, it was all crumpled up. I mean, to do that in a chair in a span of about 10 minutes, they put in work."

Edwards-Helaire had no doubt that Moffitt, Neighbors and the other coaches will find a way, as always, to energize the Tigers for another 11 a.m. kickoff against Utah State next week after enjoying a bye.

And as long as the chairs stay around the strength and conditioning staff, the running back welcomes all the pregame excitement.

"Man, weight-room guys always have their different little things going on. Even last year, you would see (strength and conditioning assistant) Jake (Riedel) head-butt (wide receiver) Racey (McMath) with his helmet on, and his head would start bleeding. They're kind of a little off the wall with some things, but it gets us motivated, so I like seeing it. I didn't wanna get hit by a chair, but it's pretty cool."