One more game and LSU can start looking ahead to an open date and its season-salvaging opportunity against No. 1-ranked Alabama the following week.

There’s probably not much LSU can do in its homecoming game against Football Championship Subdivision Furman tonight to erase the disappointment of losing to Ole Miss last week.

But first things first.

“We’re looking forward to taking the field again,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “They’re not the team best that we’ve played,” he admitted, “but they can play very, very well. They’re tough. They play hard.

“The first thing we have to do is get back to work and recognize that (we are) a very good football team that can and will achieve.”

But one of the first questions Miles was asked this week was, How soon he’d like to see true freshman backup quarterback Anthony Jennings in the game?

It wasn’t a reaction to starter Mettenberger’s three interceptions in last week. It’s still Mettenberger’s team.

And it’s not, Miles said, strictly to give Jennings experience for next year when he’s likely to take over as the starter. As opposed to Mettenberger, a straight drop-back quarterback who never looks to run, Jennings gives LSU a true dual-threat quarterback.

“Do we want to develop him?” Miles said. “You betcha. Do we want him on the field? You betcha. We think he’s a guy that (might) have to provide us a lot of snaps this year.”

Jennings has been inserted three times this season, specifically to run a quarterback sneak in short-yardage situations, but otherwise has done mop-up work when he’s thrown one pass (complete, for 11 yards).

“We would like to see Anthony Jennings specifically,” Miles said. “We’d like to see him have some action in this game.”

But, first, LSU has to play the game honestly — not get ahead of itself in trying to end it as quickly as possible.

That was one of Miles’ complaints from last week’s loss.

“One play at a time …” Miles said. “Sometimes you get teams that say, ‘Listen, it needs to be 21-0 in the first quarter … we need to go in there and wear these guys out.’

“That philosophy is all well and good if that kind of game presents itself — the idea that we need to put 21 on them at a fast, hurried pace. (But) sometimes the game doesn’t play that way. You win that game over 60 minutes.”

Among the other young players Miles said he’d like to see more of “Kendall Beckwith would be first” both at middle linebacker and defensive end.

Among the others who’ve seen limited time, Miles mentioned cornerback Rashard Robinson and offensive linemen Ethan Pocic and Josh Boutte.

Chattanooga quarterback Jacob Huesman is mobbed by Furman defenders. (Associated Press)

Tim Barber