Miles: Tigers plan on fielding Mathieu, Ware and Simon against Alabama

LSU cornerback Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu, leading rusher Spencer Ware and defensive back Tharold Simon returned to practice on Tuesday for the first time since being suspended a week ago for reportedly violating the team’s drug policy. The three were barred from Tiger Stadium for No. 1 LSU’s 45-10 victory over Auburn on Saturday, but coach Les Miles says they should be on the field when the unbeaten Tigers visit unbeaten and second-ranked Alabama on Nov. 5 in what has become one of the most anticipated games of the college football season. “We’re going to plan on using them,” Miles said of the three following practice Tuesday. “We’re practicing, preparing them to play and operating along that way.” Widespread media reports saying the three were suspended for failing drug tests have gone unchallenged by LSU. The players were withheld from all practices, meetings, workouts and film sessions with the team, which is what the athletic department’s substance abuse policy mandates for athletes who fail a second drug test, USA Today reports. First-time offenders are not suspended. Miles wouldn’t characterize the players’ situation as a “suspension” on Tuesday, even though LSU confirmed before the game Saturday that they were suspended. Instead, Miles said, “We withheld them from play.” He revealed a sensitivity to word choice in the matter. “I don’t recall that I ever said I suspended them to you [media] guys. … We’ve operated as this discipline would be—internal—and that we would handle it in that way. And our guys have returned to practice.”