GeauxTo
12-06-2005, 04:20 PM
LSU's Miles hopeful about Russell
December 6, 2005
http://cmsimg.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=D9&Date=20051206&Category=SPORTS0202&ArtNo=512060317&Ref=AR&Profile=1001&MaxW=375
LSU coach Les Miles says Tigers quarterback JaMarcus Russell (4) has a chance of playing in the Peach Bowl later this month. (Robert Ruiz/The Times)
Miami vs. LSU
Peach Bowl at Atlanta, Dec. 30, 6:30
TV: ESPN
Radio: 1130 AM
By Glenn Guilbeau gguilbeau@gannett.com (gguilbeau@gannett.com)
BATON ROUGE -- There is a chance LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell will play in the Dec. 30 Peach Bowl against Miami after suffering a separated left shoulder Saturday against Georgia, LSU coach Les Miles said Monday at a Peach Bowl news conference.
"We hope he'll be a late entry in coming back to health maybe just before the game and be ready to play," Miles said. "It's not an operable injury. He just needs rest and rehabilitation."
LSU will have 11 or 12 practices beginning on Dec. 17. The team will arrive in Atlanta on Monday, Dec. 26. Russell may not be able to practice until late in the Tigers' schedule in Baton Rouge or perhaps not until the team is in Atlanta. Either way, Miles said Russell would start.
If Russell is unable to play, Matt Flynn will play in place of Russell with receiver Skyler Green and punter/kicker Chris Jackson -- both high school quarterbacks -- in reserve.
One of Georgia's defensive lineman fell on Russell's nonthrowing shoulder after a sack in the Tigers' 34-14 loss in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Meanwhile, Peach Bowl officials arrived in Baton Rouge on Monday to officially invite LSU to its game against Miami in the Georgia Dome.
"I certainly hope you won't refuse that," Peach Bowl chairman Leeman Bennett said as he gave Miles the invitation in an envelope.
"No, no," said Miles, who flew with LSU athletic director Skip Bertman to Dallas to meet with Cotton Bowl officials last week to try to avoid the Peach Bowl. "There's a thirst within our football team to play a quality opponent."
Bennett was not kidding. He and other Peach Bowl officials said they were genuinely surprised that 10-2 LSU was available for their bowl, which tends to take teams in the seven-to-eight win range. No. 10 LSU and No. 9 Miami (USA Today rankings) form the first top 10 matchup the bowl has had in its 38-year history.
"We didn't think we'd have the opportunity to have LSU," said Peach Bowl president Gary Stokan. "We think a lot of bowls made a mistake not picking LSU based on what LSU did this season and who they beat. We're still baffled why the others didn't take LSU since it's a great TV brand name and the story of the hurricanes that LSU went through. We're awful proud to have LSU."
The Capital One Bowl in Orlando, the Outback Bowl in Tampa and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas all picked ahead of the Peach and took 9-2 Auburn, 8-3 Florida and 9-2 Alabama, respectively, even though LSU beat all those teams.
Only three bowl games have top 10 USA Today pairings this bowl season -- the Rose Bowl with No. 1 USC and No. 2 Texas, the Fiesta with No. 4 Ohio State and No. 6 Notre Dame and the Peach with No. 10 LSU and No. 9 Miami.
Bowl teams usually want to play a team ranked higher than itself. Had LSU defeated Georgia it would be playing a lower ranked team than it is now. Georgia plays No. 12 West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl, which is also in Atlanta on Jan. 2.
"We feel like we have a BCS game," Stokan said.
"You wanted to come back to Atlanta, coach," Peach Bowl executive Steve Robinson said in reference to LSU wanting to play in the Sugar Bowl. "And you are, and you get to play an even higher ranked team."
December 6, 2005
http://cmsimg.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=D9&Date=20051206&Category=SPORTS0202&ArtNo=512060317&Ref=AR&Profile=1001&MaxW=375
LSU coach Les Miles says Tigers quarterback JaMarcus Russell (4) has a chance of playing in the Peach Bowl later this month. (Robert Ruiz/The Times)
Miami vs. LSU
Peach Bowl at Atlanta, Dec. 30, 6:30
TV: ESPN
Radio: 1130 AM
By Glenn Guilbeau gguilbeau@gannett.com (gguilbeau@gannett.com)
BATON ROUGE -- There is a chance LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell will play in the Dec. 30 Peach Bowl against Miami after suffering a separated left shoulder Saturday against Georgia, LSU coach Les Miles said Monday at a Peach Bowl news conference.
"We hope he'll be a late entry in coming back to health maybe just before the game and be ready to play," Miles said. "It's not an operable injury. He just needs rest and rehabilitation."
LSU will have 11 or 12 practices beginning on Dec. 17. The team will arrive in Atlanta on Monday, Dec. 26. Russell may not be able to practice until late in the Tigers' schedule in Baton Rouge or perhaps not until the team is in Atlanta. Either way, Miles said Russell would start.
If Russell is unable to play, Matt Flynn will play in place of Russell with receiver Skyler Green and punter/kicker Chris Jackson -- both high school quarterbacks -- in reserve.
One of Georgia's defensive lineman fell on Russell's nonthrowing shoulder after a sack in the Tigers' 34-14 loss in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Meanwhile, Peach Bowl officials arrived in Baton Rouge on Monday to officially invite LSU to its game against Miami in the Georgia Dome.
"I certainly hope you won't refuse that," Peach Bowl chairman Leeman Bennett said as he gave Miles the invitation in an envelope.
"No, no," said Miles, who flew with LSU athletic director Skip Bertman to Dallas to meet with Cotton Bowl officials last week to try to avoid the Peach Bowl. "There's a thirst within our football team to play a quality opponent."
Bennett was not kidding. He and other Peach Bowl officials said they were genuinely surprised that 10-2 LSU was available for their bowl, which tends to take teams in the seven-to-eight win range. No. 10 LSU and No. 9 Miami (USA Today rankings) form the first top 10 matchup the bowl has had in its 38-year history.
"We didn't think we'd have the opportunity to have LSU," said Peach Bowl president Gary Stokan. "We think a lot of bowls made a mistake not picking LSU based on what LSU did this season and who they beat. We're still baffled why the others didn't take LSU since it's a great TV brand name and the story of the hurricanes that LSU went through. We're awful proud to have LSU."
The Capital One Bowl in Orlando, the Outback Bowl in Tampa and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas all picked ahead of the Peach and took 9-2 Auburn, 8-3 Florida and 9-2 Alabama, respectively, even though LSU beat all those teams.
Only three bowl games have top 10 USA Today pairings this bowl season -- the Rose Bowl with No. 1 USC and No. 2 Texas, the Fiesta with No. 4 Ohio State and No. 6 Notre Dame and the Peach with No. 10 LSU and No. 9 Miami.
Bowl teams usually want to play a team ranked higher than itself. Had LSU defeated Georgia it would be playing a lower ranked team than it is now. Georgia plays No. 12 West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl, which is also in Atlanta on Jan. 2.
"We feel like we have a BCS game," Stokan said.
"You wanted to come back to Atlanta, coach," Peach Bowl executive Steve Robinson said in reference to LSU wanting to play in the Sugar Bowl. "And you are, and you get to play an even higher ranked team."