LSU football: The Tigers’ injury report for Week 2 vs. Southern

The best part of LSU football’s game against Florida State during Week 1 was the fact that it was played on Sunday. This means that the school’s fans have to wait just six days for their beloved Tigers take the field once again. Whereas last weekend brought with it heartbreak at every turn, this weekend is going to seem like one big celebration in the heart of Baton Rouge.

LSU looks to rebound against the visiting Southern Jaguars. Regardless of the result—which will more than likely be a resounding victory for the Tigers—this is a monumental occasion for the city of Baton Rouge. Two neighboring programs are set to square off for the first time as LSU welcomes its FCS foe to Death Valley. Here is the complete injury report ahead of kickoff.

LSU football: The Tigers’ full injury report for Week 2 vs. Southern

As many know by now, the biggest injury the Tigers had against the Seminoles was Maason Smith. The star defensive tackle tore his ACL celebrating a huge play by one of his teammates in the first quarter. He will miss the remainder of the year following surgery. This means that fans can expect to see former Mizzou man, Mekhi Wingo, in his place. Don’t be surprised to see Brian Kelly and Matt House give a few other players a run out there to see what the team has in terms of depth either.

The Tigers had another scare early in Sunday’s game when BJ Ojulari came up limping and had to be helped off the field. Luckily, he was OK to continue for the rest of the contest. Kelly didn’t disclose any specific new injuries during his pre-Southern press conference, but he did mention a couple on the defensive side of the ball:

"“We’ve got some injuries on the defensive side of the ball with Maason Smith out, so there will be some changes there, as well. … We’re still evaluating.”"

The Tigers will also be without both Joe Foucha and Ali Gaye (for one half) on Saturday through suspension. Foucha is facing a four-game academic suspension due to an issue with his credits transferring from Arkansas. Meanwhile, Gaye will miss the first half after being flagged for targeting against Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis.

These absences and, with all due respect to Southern, the quality of the opposition, will likely result in a lot of rotation on Saturday. This rotation won’t be limited to the defense either.

Kelly has been adamant that the offensive line continues to be put under the microscope after a poor performance against the Seminoles. It’ll take the young players some time to develop the chemistry and in-game experience needed to play against SEC opposition. If there are better options on the bench though, it’ll be in the best interest of the offense to make those changes sooner rather than later.

While Sunday’s game brought with it many disappointments for LSU fans, one of the biggest positives was the team’s health. The Tigers suffered very few injuries in their loss to the Seminoles, which bodes well going forward.