Miles: 'Zach can do it'

Published Sep 25, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Sep 25, 2012)

LSU Tigers coach Les Miles says he isn't discouraged by first-year quarterback Zach Mettenberger's less-than-stellar performance Saturday against Auburn, in which the Tigers struggled to hold on to a 12-10 win. "Zach can do it,'' Miles says. "I liked his leadership. He also has toughness. [The problem] is not Zach. It's the offensive line. It's the backs. It's everyone.'' Miles notes the LSU wide receivers have had their share of drops in the first four games. "The receivers are improving,'' he says. "They are a work in progress. They did the job in several instances. In other instances, they can play better. But give the opponent credit. They covered some routes, too.'' Still, Miles expects the third-ranked Tigers to improve its passing game against Towson this Saturday before facing a challenging three-game stretch of SEC games in October: Florida, South Carolina and Texas A&M. Mettenberger was supposed to provide an immediate upgrade in LSU's air attack. While LSU is averaging 40 yards more through the air this season than it did last year, the Tigers are still producing less than 200 passing yards per game on average. In addition, Mettenberger's 147.9 efficiency rating is in the same range as the combined mark of Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee in 2011. Mettenberger has completed 68% of his passes for 778 yards and four touchdowns, but he has also thrown two red-zone interceptions and been sacked seven times. Read the full story here.