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'We've got a happy football team,' Orgeron says after LSU rips Miami, 33-17

"I want to credit our coaching staff for a great game plan. I thought we prepared well all week. You could tell today in the hotel that our guys were locked in, ready to go."
Sep 2, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron celebrates with his team after a victory against the Miami Hurricanes at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas — LSU washed away an August of arrests and negativity with one magical night Sunday.

The No. 24 Tigers upset No. 8 Miami, 33-17, at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night to open the 2018 season with an explosion.

MORE: New faces, new starters blow away Hurricanes

"We've got a happy football team in there," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. "I want to credit our coaching staff for a great game plan. I thought we prepared well all week. You could tell today in the hotel that our guys were locked in, ready to go. The leadership of this football team has been phenomenal all camp. And I want to credit those guys."

Three major felony arrests of LSU players came to light over two weeks in August as the Tigers lost starting right guard Ed Ingram, part-time starting middle linebacker Tyler Taylor and reserve wide receiver Drake Davis to indefinite suspensions. In addition, two scholarship backup quarterbacks transferred out of LSU on consecutive days in August for more playing time, leaving LSU with only two scholarship quarterbacks.

"Our team came together," Orgeron said. "As you heard me say a lot of times, we block out the noise. Again, I want to credit the leadership on this football team. They came together. I think all those things made us closer. We had a choice, and the choice was whether to make us closer or not, and it did."

MORE: Joe Burrow, a player's player

LSU won with a solid performance by one of its scholarship quarterbacks - junior graduate transfer Joe Burrow, formerly of Ohio State. Burrow completed 11 of 24 passes for 140 yards and rushed for 14 net yards on four carries.

Burrow also changed two calls at the line to give the ball to tailback Nick Brossette each time. Brossette sprinted up the middle for a 50-yard touchdown and 10-3 lead late in the first quarter and converted a fourth and one with a 2-yard gain on a touchdown drive in the second quarter for a 17-3 lead.

"He's very smart," Orgeron said of Burrow. "He's cool under pressure, can make adjustments. That's what we have seen from Joe all the time. And that was a big fourth down play for us. That was a big audible on his part."

The 50-yard touchdown run by Brossette came on a second and 15 play. Burrow audibled out of a pass because of something he saw from the defense. The fourth and one was on the Miami 49. Brossette converted up the middle again, and seven plays later Brossette scored on a 1-yard run for a 17-3 lead.

"He did great," Orgeron said of Burrow. "He managed the game. We scored 33 points. He kept his poise. He did what he did in camp. He was ready to go. He was fired up. When you have a quarterback who is smart like Joe at quarterback, he can make changes at the line of scrimmage. That's important. That's what we've seen from Joe the whole time in camp."

Brossette led all rushers with a career-high 125 yards on 22 carries.

"I'm proud of Nick," Orgeron said. "Nick was one of our team captains for the game. He's been tremendous all camp, and I think he's going to have an excellent season. We saw it at camp. He was our most physical back. I told y'all that. I felt that he was going to have a good night."

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