After meeting with several hundred reporters Tuesday in Hoover, Ala., at the Southeastern Conference Media Days, LSU football coach Nick Saban was in more friendly confines Wednesday.
Saban addressed a few hundred fans at the Baton Rouge Rotary Club at Boudreaux's, which was filled to capacity. Before Saban took the microphone, some LSU cheerleaders led some yells, which surely did not happen in Hoover.
"This is the kickoff luncheon for me," Saban said. "This is always my favorite one because this one really means that football season is getting close."
LSU's freshmen report on Aug. 6 with the veterans to follow three days later. Their challenge is to repeat or improve upon a phenomenal 2001 season that saw the Tigers win the Southeastern Conference championship and the Sugar Bowl and finish 10-3.
"The greatest competitive situation I've ever been involved in was at the SEC championship last year," Saban told his audience. "We were outnumbered in the stands, but we were not out-cheered. I thought our fans made a lot more noise. The only advantage Tennessee had in the whole game was when I walked on the field and saw all the orange jerseys. After that, we out-cheered them."
Saban reviewed the losses of starting quarterback Rohan Davey and tailback LaBrandon Toefield early in the game.
"We overcame all of that and probably the dumbest decision I've ever made in my coaching career when I went for it on fourth down deep in our territory," Saban said. "We overcame all that adversity and won. Then it was very gratifying to play in front of our fans in our own backyard in the Sugar Bowl."
Which leads us to 2002. Davey won't be there for all 12 regular-season games, beginning with a date at Virginia Tech on Sept. 1. Neither will All-American wide receiver Josh Reed.
Matt Mauck, a hero of the SEC championship game, is the No. 1 quarterback, but backup Marcus Randall is ahead of schedule in recovering from a knee injury and may be ready to play early in the season.
Saban said LSU, which finished seventh in the final Associated Press poll, will have to have a better defense if it is to continue to be a national power.
"Last year's all over," Saban said. "People quickly started asking, what are you going to do next year? Way back in February, I told our players that we need to make a decision whether we will be a flash in the pan or a team that had one 10-win season. We want to be a nationally recognized, dominant program that wins with consistency every year."
Saban avoided questions on the ongoing investigation into academic fraud involving football players in Hoover, but he addressed them Wednesday.
"There may be some problems, but it's nothing you people need to lose any sleep over," he said. "We have made dramatic improvements in our academic support. A brand new academic center is set to open on Sept. 1. We've doubled the budget for our academic support."
Saban also made a push for more money for LSU's overall athletic program via the Tiger Athletic Foundation.
"The SEC has had three teams win the national championship in the last 10 years -- Florida, Tennessee and Alabama," Saban said. "Those also are the three schools that bring in the most money in the league for capital improvements. LSU is No. 11. We need to do better than that. We need a new baseball field. We need to improve the Maravich Assembly Center."
Saban closed the luncheon by praising LSU baseball player Wally Pontiff, who died in his sleep at his parents' home last week.
"I didn't know him personally," Saban said. "But I knew him by reputation and saw him play. I know he was what everybody wants in a student-athlete. It must be terrible for his family. He was so full of life.
"But if we can learn anything from it, it's to hug your children every night and tell them you love them."
