LSU Football Transfers Talk First Experience Playing in Tiger Stadium

It certainly wasn't the outcome that newcomers Liam Shanahan and Jabril Cox were hoping for in their LSU debuts, but the pair of graduate transfers finally got to play in Death Valley. It was a moment both had been looking forward to since signing up with the program in the offseason.

Cox and Shanahan will be linked together throughout this entire season as two of LSU's most important offseason acquisitions. Heading into the season, linebacker and offensive line depth was sparse and not only have the two taken on starting roles in their short amount of time with the program, but they're being counted on as veteran leaders on a team ripe with inexperience.

"It was cool going through warmups, starting a game in Tiger Stadium and I was really grateful for the limited fans we did have," Shanahan said. "I was really happy to be in there."

Both had their moments in the Tigers 44-34 loss on Saturday afternoon but were ultimately disappointed their first game in Tiger Stadium ended in a loss. Cox was impressive in his debut, recording six tackles and an interception he returned for a touchdown in the second quarter during the win.

The North Dakota State transfer said running around Tiger Stadium against SEC athletes really didn't feel all that different than an FCS game he spent the last four years tearing apart.

"Every game I go into I just want to get the first hit, the first tackle off and that's when I settle down and start to come within myself," Cox said. "There's always a sense of nervousness before every game. That just means I care about winning, I care about the team so I had butterflies going in. Didn't want to let the team down or anybody else down that was watching and wanted to see me perform."

That second quarter pick six was particularly surreal for Cox, who in past seasons would’ve run into the endzone with 100,000 plus fans screaming at the tops of their lungs. However, this go around, Cox was surrounded by teammates, cardboard cutouts and a select few socially distanced fans in the endzone.

"It was a different feeling but when I crossed the endzone I didn't even notice the crowd, I just noticed my teammates around me," Cox said. "Most of the time I have tunnel vision on the field so the cardboard people didn't really affect me and the noise around but it was a great moment for all of us."

Another player who balled out in LSU's first game of the season was JUCO transfer Ali Gaye. Both Shanahan and Cox were extremely complimentary of Gaye's three tackle game that included 11 pressures on quarterback KJ Costello and three passes defended.

"He had a great game and I was happy to see that because I know for a fact he's been working hard," Shanahan said. "He's been doing everything he can to put out a performance like that and something that he can build on going forward."

All three will be vital pieces to the team's success in 2020 and being veterans, know how important this week in particular is to get back on the right track.

"It's a bit of a wake up call for us where we can't take anything for granted. We can't go through the motions in practice or on film," Shanahan said. "We really have to be attacking everything that we do, every single day to make sure we're ready to be the best team we can be on Saturdays."