2009 LSU Tigers football team The 2009 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2009 – 2010 . The team ' s head coach was Les Miles who served his fifth year at the helm of LSU football . They played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge , Louisiana . The Tigers finished the season 9 – 4 , 5 – 3 in SEC play and lost the Capital One Bowl 19 – 17 against Penn State . Previous season . In his fourth season as head coach , Les Miles led LSU to a regular season record of 7 – 5 , finishing 3 – 5 in the SEC . The Tigers were awarded a berth in the 2008 Chick - fil - A Bowl where they faced Georgia Tech . The Tigers easily defeated the Yellow Jackets by a score of 38 – 3 . Miles improved to 4 – 0 in bowl games as head coach of LSU . LSU completed the 2008 college football season with an 8 – 5 overall record . The bowl victory also marked the 700th win in LSU Tiger football history . The Tigers look to improve on their 8 – 5 season in 2009 . Before the season . Coaching changes . Following the 2008 season , co - defensive coordinators , Doug Mallory & Bradley Dale Peveto both left LSU . Mallory moved on to New Mexico to become defensive coordinator of the Lobos ' football program , while Peveto took over as the head coach of the Northwestern State Demons . The Tigers replaced Mallory and Peveto with new Defensive Coordinator John Chavis who left the University of Tennessee after the departure of head coach Phillip Fulmer . Chavis was a Tennessee alum and held the position of defensive coordinator there since 1995 . Chavis will also coach linebackers at LSU . Ron Cooper was hired as the new defensive back s coach . Previously , Mallory had coached the defensive backs since 2005 . Cooper came to LSU from the University of South Carolina where he spent the past five years coaching on the defensive side of the football . Earl Lane also left LSU following the 2008 . Lane spent 3 seasons as defensive line coach at LSU , but decided it was time to move on . Lane was replaced by Brick Haley . Haley was brought aboard as a veteran defensive line coach who has spent time in both the NFL and the Southeastern Conference . Finally , Josh Henson , who left to become co - offensive line coach for Missouri , was replaced by Don Yanowsky . Henson came to LSU with Miles in 2005 and served as the Tight Ends coach and recruiting coordinator for the Tigers . Henson has a reputation as of being one the best recruiters in the nation . Yanowsky will also serve as the Tight Ends coach and Recruiting coordinator , and comes to LSU from Boston College . Key losses . Offense Defense Special teams Returning starters . Offense Defense 2009 recruiting class . Spring game . The Tigers held their annual spring game on Saturday April 18 , 2009 . LSU White defeated LSU Purple 27 – 0 . Game notes . Washington . Pregame Line : - 18 . 5 Vanderbilt . Pregame Line : - 14 Louisiana - Lafayette . Pregame Line : - 27 Mississippi St . . Pregame Line : - 12 . 5 # 14 Georgia . Pregame Line : + 3 . 5 # 1 Florida . Pregame Line : + 10 Auburn . Pregame Line : - 7 . 5 Tulane . Pregame Line : - 36 . 5 # 3 Alabama . Pregame Line : + 7 Louisiana Tech . Pregame Line : - 23 Ole Miss . Pregame Line : + 4 . 5 Arkansas . Pregame Line : - 4 Penn State – Capital One Bowl . On July 23 , 2011 the NCAA ordered that all of Penn State ' s wins since 1998 , including the 2009 Capitol One Bowl , were to be vacated due to the information in the Freeh Report regarding the Jerry Sandusky controversy . Which doesn ' t change the fact that Penn State won .