HOOVER, Fla. – Zach Mettenberger sat down at a table full of microphones and peered out at a battery of TV cameras aimed at him.
“It’s like a microphone graveyard,” Mettenberger said.
Welcome to SEC Media Days, Zach.
Wednesday was LSU’s turn here at the SEC’s annual preseason media gathering, a marathon day that included coaches and players from six teams thanks to the conference’s expansion to 14 with the inclusion of Texas A&M and Missouri (they were both here Tuesday).
Here’s a sample of what LSU coach Les Miles, Mettenberger, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and safety Eric Reid had to say during their media sessions here:
“What happened was we played our 14th game and we didn’t play as well as we did in our 13. I think we played a very quality opponent. I think we played one more game than the rest of college football. We were the conference champions.
“I think we recognized the things that we didn’t get accomplished in that game and I think we look forward to taking the field again. I answer it this way: it’s about us. There’s some things that we can do better.” – Miles, on LSU’s 21-0 loss to Alabama in January’s BCS national championship game in New Orleans.
“That left us with a bitter taste in our mouths. That’s not the way you want to finish. We’re working every day to get back to the national championship game, and hopefully we’ll be good enough to win it.” – Mettenberger on the BCS loss.
“He knows what he has to do, and he knows he can’t just be Zach anymore. He has to be Zach Mettenberger, starting quarterback for LSU. That’s his role, and he’s stepping into it.” – Beckham.
“Only one team can say they won the SEC, and that was us. I’m proud of it.” – Reid on wearing his SEC championship ring from last season. Some LSU players have chosen not to wear the ring because it carries their No. 2 final ranking on the side, a reminder of their loss to Alabama.
“I can tell you that no game is won on a Twitter page.” – Miles when asked about the recent war of tweets between LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron.
