LSU Head Coach Frank Wilson talks Kinder's Texas Bowl

KILT-AM / SportsRadio 610

Seth and Sean talk with LSU Tigers Interim Head Coach Frank Wilson about accepting the bid to play against the Houston Cougars in the Kinder's Texas Bowl coming up on December 27th.

Transcript

00:00All right, let's go to the hotline.

00:01Of course, we know December 27th is the date, 8.15 p.m. kickoff.

00:06This is going to be a great bowl game with a ton of local flavor.

00:09The University of Houston Cougars taking on the Tigers of LSU

00:13in the Kinders Texas Bowl.

00:14Joining us right now is the head coach of the LSU Tigers, Frank Wilson,

00:18joining us right now on the show.

00:20Frank, it's Sean and Seth.

00:22How are you doing today?

00:23I'm doing well, guys.

00:24How are you?

00:25We're doing fantastic, Coach.

00:26Hey, so let's talk a little bit.

00:28How excited are you guys and the kids on your team

00:32to get one more game together,

00:33especially one where this is an easy one geographically for you guys?

00:37I'd imagine there's Texas kids on the team

00:39and get to play the University of Houston here

00:41at a great facility in NRG Stadium.

00:44Super excited about it.

00:46Have a relationship with Coach Willie Fridson from his time at Tulane.

00:50A lot of respect for the job that he's done for so many years.

00:54You're talking about a 9-3 Big 12 opponent.

00:58Who's of high quality at a great venue.

01:02And as you mentioned, geographically allows our fans to travel in support

01:08as well as the student-athletes' family.

01:11So a great opportunity before us to go play a quality opponent,

01:15and we're excited about it.

01:17Coach, you took over with four games left in the season.

01:20And I know it's always a challenge when you have to take over a team midseason,

01:25but then also you really put an emphasis on playing with more physicality.

01:31You added physicality into the practice when it's later in the season.

01:36Were you at all nervous about that strategy,

01:39like that you had to really sell it to the guys?

01:41Yeah, it's calculated, right, that here you are at the back end of the season

01:46and you're playing tackle football in practice, right?

01:50So you're conscientious of the potential for injury,

01:55but there's a want-to-to-display style of football that we desire,

02:00and it requires you to be violent.

02:04And so we segmented that, and it controlled as much as a control setting as we can

02:10that demonstrated those things.

02:12And we went out and played four games, capturing victory in two of them,

02:16and playing well against two top ten teams versus Alabama

02:22and then one versus Oklahoma that in the fourth quarter the game was in a balance.

02:27We had chances.

02:29We're not able to get it over the hump, but was pleased with the effort,

02:33the physicality, and the style of play that we desired from our football team.

02:38And our intention is to catapult that and do it one more time in Houston.

02:44LSU head coach Frank Wilson joining us here on Sports Radio 610.

02:49Coach, your offense is orchestrated by a sophomore, Michael Van Buren,

02:56who, as you mentioned, he had some good moments against some tough competition,

03:01started the win over Arkansas, took over for Garrett Nussmeyer,

03:04started three straight games.

03:07Talk about your quarterback a little bit

03:09and what you're expecting going up against this Cougs defense.

03:11Yeah, like him, like his want-to, like his moxie,

03:17like his ability to give us a chance from a duality standpoint at the position.

03:25You know, for us, we'll have to do a great job protecting him

03:29and doing the things that caters to his strengths against a very quality opponent.

03:35When you look at this Houston Cougar team,

03:38and we're still in the infant stages of scouting them

03:43as we're 48 hours now into knowing our opponent.

03:48But a lot of respect for the things that they do.

03:51And it'll be challenging for us to try to find things to take advantage,

03:56to give us our best chance to score points

03:58because they'll be required to achieve victory in this game.

04:02You know, LSU recruits Houston, obviously,

04:06and I know you've got a number of players from the Houston area on your team.

04:09Are they acting, are you planning on having them act as travel guides while you're here?

04:16Yeah, you know, we'll get there Christmas Eve.

04:19And the bowl has done a great job.

04:22You know, as you know, we played in it there about four times or so.

04:26And so it's a great opportunity for us.

04:29It's a great venue for us.

04:31We're excited about doing those things that have been set forth with the bowl committee

04:36and then preparing to play football.

04:40So I don't know how much tourism we'll get involved in,

04:44but we're looking forward to participating into the bowl activities,

04:50but probably more importantly,

04:52getting sound practices in to prepare for such a quality opponent.

04:55Yeah, and I've always been fascinated by college coaches having a game plan over the course of such a long stretch

05:02where you're going to have to deal not just with personnel changes with the University of Houston,

05:06but also just every little wrinkle that gets thrown in.

05:09So how are you looking at the Cougs as you start game planning for them?

05:13So, again, we're in the early stage of game planning.

05:19So for us, you know, we'll be on the field today and tomorrow,

05:24and a lot of that is self-evaluation, self-development,

05:29and a lot of individual, a lot of unit stuff, offense and defense, respectively,

05:33from a technical, fundamental standpoint.

05:37And then we'll use the next two weeks to give Houston our undivided attention.

05:44But today we're strength conditioning, we're running,

05:47and we're getting ourselves back into post-national signing day,

05:52getting ourselves back into what we will call football in game-ready shape.

05:57And then on Thursday and Friday we'll have moderated practice that are an hour and change,

06:04not much longer, and then we'll pick it up next week in preparation for Houston.

06:12LSU head coach Frank Wilson joining us here on Sports Radio 610.

06:16Coach, I think two things I think are interesting.

06:18During the transition after Coach Kelly was let go,

06:22you guys had no opt-outs during that transition.

06:24I also think, given that we've seen some schools just say,

06:27we don't want to go to a bowl game, that you guys are playing in this bowl game.

06:31What does it say about your staff?

06:33What does it say about the kids that you guys have had such little churn

06:37compared to other schools and actually want to go still compete here in December?

06:40What does it say about LSU, the kids and the staff?

06:44Yeah, I think it says a lot about our brand.

06:46It says a lot about our administration.

06:48It says a lot about our student-athletes who want to finish on a high note,

06:53who are eager to finish, in some cases, their careers, in other cases, their season,

07:03in a manner that we think is right, and that's with victory.

07:07And so, again, we played, had a valent effort against Oklahoma in our last outing,

07:13but was not pleased with the outcome.

07:15And so, to have an opportunity to play football, the kids here love football.

07:21They come here to play football.

07:23So, opting out or not playing in a bowl game was never even brought up.

07:29You know, that was never a topic of communication.

07:34It was, do we play again?

07:37When do we start practicing again?

07:39How do we get an opportunity to play again?

07:42Do you know where we're playing at, Coach?

07:43And so, they were always eager, and I think that speaks to the culture of our football program.

07:50Well, and for you personally, I mean, you're a native of New Orleans.

07:52For any chance for you to get to represent the state of Louisiana,

07:55bowl game or whatever it may be, I would imagine, you're thrilled about that, right?

07:59You're certainly right.

08:02You know, just one more time, to take the team out onto the field

08:05is something that I'm super excited about, that I'm blessed, I'm grateful for.

08:10And so, we'll do it one more time, you know, in this 2025 season.

08:16Yep.

08:16December 27th, 8-15 kick.

08:19The University of Houston Cougars against the LSU Tigers.

08:22We're pleased to talk to LSU head coach Frank Wilson.

08:25Coach, we really appreciate the time.

08:27Have a very happy holiday season as you prepare for this bowl game,

08:30and we'll see you when you get to Houston.

08:32Thank you guys for having me.

08:33You got it.

08:33Thanks.

08:34Thanks.

08:35Thanks.

08:36Thanks.

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