LSU Players Talk Team Morale Heading Into Final Two Game Stretch of 2020 Season
LSU was at the top of the college football mountain 366 days ago. The Tigers had just beat Georgia in the SEC Championship 37-10 and had their sights set on the College Football Playoff.
Fast forward a year and the wheels are coming off a program that is learning the hard way that backing up a perfect season in every stretch of the imagination is hard to replicate. Opt outs, blowout losses and low team morale has left the 2020 season much like this year as a whole has gone, in ruins.
On Tuesday, center Liam Shanahan, linebacker Jabril Cox and punter Zach Von Rosenberg met with the media to discuss just where the team morale is this late in the season. It's no secret the last 24 hours have been difficult to the program as fans, teammates and coaches alike all wait to hear what freshman tight end Arik Gilbert ultimately decides to do.
The freshman tight end is considering a transfer out of Baton Rouge, a decision that would be perhaps the biggest blow to the program this season. Shanahan believes that some of the reported "homesick" issues involving Gilbert makes you tougher and grow as a person but also understands what it's like to be away from your family and where Gilbert is coming from.
Von Rosenberg can't imagine being a freshman during this weird season where, outside of football, there isn't much to do socially. As veterans, Shanahan, Cox and Von Rosenberg have seen what the college experience is all about and that includes being able to do more social gatherings than this season has allowed because of the COVID-19 climate.
"Going to college, being away from home, especially this year, there's not too much going on to kind of distract that for us," Shanahan said. "Obviously it hasn't been a great season but it's not over yet. The guys that are still here, we're working hard to make sure we finish this season on the most positive note possible.
"It's not the same atmosphere," Von Rosenberg said. "When you get away from football, outside of video games and staying in your dorm, you're told you can't really go anywhere to risk getting the team exposed to coronavirus. When you're winning it hides the fact that things aren't so different and that's why it feels so different from last year. It's difficult to enjoy life outside of football when you're not supposed to do anything."
With all of those issues in the forefront, the team morale has struggled at times as the Tigers limp towards the finish line of the 2020 schedule. Despite the obvious growing pains, the players are still committed to finishing this season out strong.
For some, like Cox and Shanahan, putting out that last bit of positive game film is important for NFL evaluators. Younger freshmen and sophomores on the team want to start playing better to prove to themselves and the coaching staff that they can be the answers to the future of this program, not the reason for its downfall.
"We're all just trying to put the tape on film," Cox said. "A lot of guys on the team, we're looking at the next level and trying to play great together as a team. We're keeping our heads up high, I think coach has done a good job of telling us to keep fighting. These are weird times and if we were an 8-0 team, everything would be fine right now but we're not and guys are hanging their heads.
"All of the guys in this locker room have the talent to get it done, it's not a lack of talent," Shanahan said. "For us, keep getting these younger guys who are playing, keep getting their confidence up and put the talent we have on display is really important for us."
From a practice perspective, the players whole heartedly agreed with Orgeron's assessment that the focus, preparation and determination has been there, trying to get the bad tastes of the Alabama loss out of their mouths.
"Is the morale down? Of course but it's because we're not playing well," Von Rosenberg said. "I would say our guys are hungry. So many of these players want to play well and we haven't had a great few days but a lot of these younger players want to be good. It's encouraging to see that considering circumstances. If guys are hungry, you can always be in the fight."
Shanahan said he doesn't know of any other players who are considering an opt out at this time and he himself is just focusing on finishing the season out the right way. He and his fellow transfer Cox have the opportunity to move on to the NFL after this season, a decision that neither have made and have spoken with the coaching staff about throughout the season.
Orgeron said that Monday, a big part of the 2021 class will come with re-recruiting veteran members of the 2020 team to come back. Orgeron and company are in a battle right now to not lose Gilbert but Shanahan and Cox both believe the future in Baton Rouge is bright.
"I'm still looking to finish out this season strong and then kind of see and see what will be the best outcome for me going forward," Shanahan said. "Obviously everyone's frustrated, it's been an especially trying year and we haven't done the best job we could've done this season. There's no reason for us to be doing what we've been doing so we have to improve and finish this season strong."
"I see a bright future, there are a lot of young guys getting great reps. There's a lot of young talent on the team and next year I see LSU back at the top," Cox said.
