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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Thousands of students, professors and workers were evacuated from Louisiana State University's main campus Monday following a bomb threat, school officials said.

The evacuation was prompted by a threat phoned into 911 about 10:32 a.m., university spokeswoman Kristine Calongne said. Calongne said the caller didn't direct the threat to any specific area of the campus.

The university issued a statement on its website announcing the evacuation an hour later, then distributed the information through text messages, emails and social media.

"A bomb threat has been reported on the LSU campus," the statement said. "Please evacuate as calmly and quickly as possible."

There are 30,000 students, professors and university employees located on the Baton Rouge campus, but it was not clear how many were present at the time of the threat.

"Monday ... is a very big class day, so I think the majority of that group was probably on campus at the time," Calongne said.

By early afternoon Monday, the LSU campus was largely deserted with roads leading onto campus blocked by police. The major arteries heading away from campus were congested, packed with traffic.

Catherine Lacoste, an 18-year-old freshman and architecture major, said she received notification of the bomb threat through the emergency text message system while working in a studio on a project. She double-checked the information and then evacuated. She didn't seem worried about the threat, however.

"I'm going to go home, take a nap and hopefully campus will be open again when I wake up," Lacoste said.

State police bomb technicians were on the scene, said Louisiana State Police Capt. Doug Cain. He said authorities were talking to their counterparts in Texas, North Dakota and Ohio to see if there were any similarities to threats universities in those states received Friday.

University officials in those states also evacuated their campuses, but police found no explosives.

Calongne said she doesn't know of any other time the entire flagship university campus was evacuated.

"I've been at LSU since 1990 — if you count my student years — and I don't ever recall us having an evacuation of the whole campus," she said.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Tyrann Mathieu plans to quit his frequent use of social media cold turkey when LSU's season starts, and coach Les Miles is very much in favor of that.

Miles placed a figurative muzzle on the play-making cornerback and Heisman Trophy finalist popularly known as the "Honey Badger" when LSU reported for August camp last week. LSU's annual media day on Tuesday, when every player is available, marked the first time Mathieu was permitted to talk to reporters about his starring role on a team that is widely expected to contend again for a national title.

One thing Mathieu made clear is that he is willing to tone down his public persona if that is what best serves the team.

"I respect Coach, and whatever decision he makes I go along with it," Mathieu said. "There's a lot of guys on this team who are deserving of the spotlight. I don't have to be in it all the time and I'm fine with that.

"Everything's going well right now and I've just got to watch what I put on Twitter," he added.

Generally, Mathieu reserves social media for philosophical musings and personal reflection, such as when he tweeted: "Common sense is not so common."

He could have been referring to a day in June when got into a bit of a Twitter spat with A.J. McCarron, quarterback of arch rival Alabama, against whom the Tigers will play on Nov. 3.

Mathieu essentially downplayed McCarron's role in the Crimson Tide's 14th national title last season, which came at LSU's expense, saying that defense wins championships. McCarron responded mockingly that Mathieu was right, and that the Crimson Tide's team concept is what made them great, and why they beat LSU in last season's title game in New Orleans.

Miles responded by leaving his 2012 Heisman contender behind when LSU took several players to Birmingham for Southeastern Conference media days.

"It's a week-by-week thing," Miles said of his approach to managing Mathieu's media exposure. "I really listen to Tyrann and try to determine what's best for him.

"I enjoy many times his representation, and as long as it doesn't become a distraction to him, he'll have some time to visit (with reporters)," Miles said. "So many times, he's such a pleasing guy, he wants to please everybody. ... Too many interviews, one after another, just doesn't tell him what he needs to do. What he needs to do is do well academically, finish this football season and have a long-range view of himself. Sometimes, even though the world wants today's quote, that's not necessarily what's important."

Mathieu, who dyes the top of his hair yellow, grew up in New Orleans, home to a culture where personal expression is generally encouraged and rewarded, as anyone who has ever attended a Mardi Gras parade or second line would see.

His coaches profess to love him as a person and a player. Defensive end Sam Montgomery calls him "a philosopher."

Defensive coordinator Jon Chavis calls him "a wonderful young man," but responded Tuesday to questions about Mathieu's knack for capturing the public's imagination by emphasizing how much more important the team concept is than any one star player.

"He's a very talented guy, but it is a team sport," Chavis said. "How many Heisman Trophy winners have you seen on losing football teams?"

Mathieu seems to have heard that message and taken it to heart.

When asked about his Heisman hopes, he responded, "In order to be a Heisman finalist, your team has to play national championship football. So I think, at the end of the day, winning postseason awards and a national championship puts everyone in a position to succeed."

Media day also marked the first time Penn State transfer Rob Bolden was made available to talk about his role as a reserve quarterback since he arrived on campus last week.

Bolden, an off and on starter at Penn State who has two years of eligibility remaining, said he has wanted to transfer to LSU since long before the Jerry Sandusky scandal that led to harsh sanctions against the Nittany Lions. He said the only way the scandal figured in was that it allowed him to get his release last month to play this season on whatever team he chose.

"Penn State was a great place, taught me a lot, I've been through a lot in that place and I appreciate everything they've done for me," Bolden said. "That coaching staff, they were great. (Late Penn State coach) Joe (Paterno) helped me out a lot. My (former) teammates, I love them. I'll always be friends with them."

Bolden came out of spring practice at Penn State with little hope of starting his junior season. He had been recruited by LSU coming out of high school and had maintained a good relationship with Miles, who saw the benefit of bringing in a backup quarterback with big-game experience to a team playing in the often brutal SEC.

For now, Bolden is so new to LSU that coaches say there is no telling when he will be ready to take meaningful snaps. Bolden also knows that LSU is set on junior Zach Mettenberger as its starter, but still sees LSU as a good fit for a quarterback like him who is as comfortable running as throwing.

"It's the best place in the country, ranked No. 1 (in the USA Today coaches poll), great weather, great food, great people, why not?" Bolden said. "I bring a lot to the table. I've been through a lot. I don't think there's anything you could put in front of me that would surprise me at all.

"I understand the situation (with Mettenberger starting). I understand everything that's going on. I'm just here. I thought it was the best thing for me."

Still, they remain confident they will overcome the recent dismissal of All-America cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. There is too much talent across the roster for LSU to sell itself short against anyone.

"There's a limitation to what loses we can sustain, but I think there's a strength and foundation in this program," LSU coach Les Miles said. "That allows us to have depth, play a quality player and step the next guy on the field that really is expected to play big."

The loss of Mathieu notwithstanding, the most important change for the Tigers this season might be the emergence of new starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

His exceptional ability to throw down field has been obvious to coaches since his arrival on campus as a junior college transfer last year, but he had to sit behind seniors Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee in 2011 while learning the offense.

Now Mettenberger is the clear number one, giving a greater passing threat to an offense that has all key players returning to a running game that put up 203 yards a game last season, when the Tigers won their first 13 contests before falling to Alabama in the national title game.

"He has that arm strength and knows that he can make those throws," receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said. "He is a risk taker. He will throw those balls and trust us to make plays."

When offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa talks about the difference in LSU's offense this year, he lists examples from recent practices in which Mettenberger made bold throws into tight coverage, hitting receivers deep down the middle for huge gains. When such a route appeared to be covered last year, Studrawa said, the instructions to the quarterbacks would be, "Get off it, check the ball down."

"We wouldn't have even thrown those balls before. That's been a struggle," Studrawa said. "When (Mettenberger) sits back there, and that play's called, he's going to make that throw. He's going to zip that thing in there. He's got the confidence to do it."

The effect has been noticeable on receivers Russell Shepard, Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, Studrawa said, because they've learned not to give up on deep routes when they appear to be covered.

"When you run it, keep going, because he's going to put that ball on you," Studrawa said. "That's what got those young kids (at receiver) so excited, and me."

Mettenberger senses he has the confidence of the coaches now, and what he needs to do is not take so many risks that he losses that.

"They're going to give me a lot of opportunities to check at the line of scrimmage, to throw the ball," Mettenberger said. "But I've got to be smart with the ball."

Miles still wants the offense to be balanced, and does not want to venture too far from the physical, grind-'em-down, ball control offense that served LSU so well last season. LSU's top five running backs from last season — Michael Ford, Spencer Ware, Alfred Blue, Kenny Hilliard and Terrence Magee — are all back. And they'll be joined by another talented young running back in Jeremy Hill.

"We tied a school record with 35 rushing touchdowns (last season) and all the guys that were leaders at that position have returned," Miles said. "We'll be talented there."

LSU's offensive line is big and experienced, and will benefit from the return of former starter Josh Dworaczyk, whose medical redshirt last season allowed him to return to LSU for a sixth year.

The big question on defense is who will replace Mathieu at cornerback. The two leading candidates, redshirt freshman Jalen Collins and true freshman Jalen Mills, have no experience, but both were highly rated recruits. The schedule also helps. LSU will open against heavy underdog North Texas at home on Sept. 1, and most of its toughest contests, highlighted by a Nov. 3 visit from Alabama, occur during the latter half of the season.

That should give any new starters a relatively low-pressure adjustment period. The rest of LSU's defensive backfield is by no means devoid of leadership. The unit still boasts safety Eric Reid and cornerback Tharold Simon, who was considered LSU's best one-on-one cover man even before Mathieu's dismissal.

LSU may not be able to replace Mathieu's instinctive ability to cause mayhem as a blitzer and turnover-causing machine, but opposing quarterbacks will still be staring down a fearsome four-man defensive line led by ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo, a pair that combined for 17 sacks last season.

"I don't think I would trade them for any two defensive ends in the country," defensive coordinator John Chavis said. "These are guys that are very talented. They fit our style of play and have been very productive for us."

The interior line also has size and depth, led by Anthony "Freak" Johnson (6-foot-3, 294 pounds) and Bennie Logan (6-3, 287).

LSU expects to replace Mathieu on punt returns with Beckham, a sophomore who had one of the most spectacular sideline-to-sideline touchdown runs of last season after a short reception. The Tigers hope his explosiveness and ability to set up blocks will serve him well in that role.