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.
08:33Thanks.
08:34Thanks.
08:34Thanks.
08:34Thanks.
08:34Thanks.
08:34Thanks.
08:34Thanks.
08:34Thanks.
08:35Thanks.
08:36Thanks.
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