Jean-Francois won’t play against Gators

• Advocate staff report
• Published: Oct 11, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Jean-Francois, who said Tuesday his quotes to an Orlando Sentinel reporter were misinterpreted, did not make the trip to Gainesville, Fla., and will miss the game with a groin injury suffered in LSU’s Sept. 27 game against Mississippi State.

“If we get a good shot on (Tebow), we’re going to try our best to take him out of the game,” Jean-Francois was quoted as saying in an Orlando blog this week. “With his size and his heart, it’s hard to get a clean shot.”

LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said Friday that Jean-Francois’ absence has nothing to do with the controversy.

So why not stem the controversy earlier in the week by announcing Jean-Francois would not play?

“There’s no point in letting Florida know,” Bonnette said. “He tried to practice this week. We thought he would be recovered by now.”

Either way, LSU coach Les Miles said Wednesday he wants LSU’s defense to play aggressively.

“Injury is the worst part of this football game,” Miles said. “We want everybody to play, play well, play their best and we want to get to the quarterback. But we want to get to the quarterback every week.”