Since 1960, LSU is 220-60-4 in night games at Tiger Stadium and 24-25-3 during the day.
That would seem to be an edge for the Kentucky Wildcats, who visit Tiger Stadium for an 11:21 a.m. game Saturday on the SEC Network.
Given that No. 1 LSU will also be there, though, Kentucky coach Joker Phillips isn’t counting on it.
“I don’t consider it any type of advantage,” Phillips said during Wednesday’s SEC coaches conference call. “I don’t consider it any type of advantage to play a team like LSU.”
LSU coach Les Miles said he expects Tiger Stadium to be as big an edge for his team in the daylight as it is in the dark.
“There is an enjoyment to playing in Tiger Stadium at night, no question. But there is an advantage to playing in the daytime as well,” said Miles, who is 8-4 in day home games.
“I think our guys will be fired up and I don’t think there will be a difference in the crowd.”
Miles was also asked several questions about the addition of Texas A&M to the SEC starting with the 2012 season. Again, Miles sees advantages for the conference and for LSU’s recruiting – not negatives.
“Where were just outside the borders, now I think we will be the home conference for the state of Texas,” Miles said. “Now there’s a strong likelihood that a greater number of guys will look at the SEC.”
Miles is concerned about the fact that for at least the time being the SEC will have 13 members, seven of them in the SEC West. That raises the possibility that not everyone in the West will play each other.
“That’s not right,” Miles said. “If you’re naming a division champion you want a chance to play the guys in your division.”
Kentucky is coming off a 48-10 blowout loss to Florida in Lexington, a game in which the Wildcats managed just 299 yards total offense.
Asked if he see’s similarities between the LSU and Florida defenses, Phillips gave the edge to the Tigers.
“This team gives you a lot more different looks,” Phillips said, “different pressures, different fronts. They do have a lot of similar personnel, but this team we’re about to play is probably more physical. Not that Florida isn’t physical, but this team is really big up front and tries to bloody your nose. That’s the way football is played, and they do a good job of it.”
LSU is a 30-point favorite over Kentucky. This will be the first meeting between these two schools since 2007.
