For the second year in a row, the LSU football team walked away from the Alabama game torn, tattered and trampled.
 
Little less than a year after the 2009 Alabama contest left the Tigers riddled with injuries, Saturday’s scuffle with the Crimson Tide brought the losses of three key cogs in the LSU football machine.
 
Sophomore offensive tackle Alex Hurst, sophomore cornerback Morris Claiborne and junior safety Brandon Taylor all left the game injured Saturday.
 
Junior center-turned-right guard T-Bob Hebert also exited for a period of time.
 
“I think the only long-term loss will be Brandon Taylor,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “I think Mo Claiborne is really day-to-day, and I think we’ll get him back pretty quickly. Other than that everybody else will be intact.”
 
The defensive side of the ball took the biggest blow, as two starters left the game and could not return.
 
Taylor, a two-year starter at safety, left the game with what looked to be an ankle injury.
 Claiborne was kept out of the game because of migraine headaches, according to junior cornerback Patrick Peterson.
 
Les Miles and staff turned to some young guns to step up in the biggest games of their LSU careers thus far.
 
True freshman Eric Reid and redshirt freshman Craig Loston saw the most action filling in for Taylor.
 
“The young freshmen … really approached it with the idea that they’re capable, that they’re ready,” Miles said. “Eric Reid is one of the more physical players that we have.
They’re ready to play, and we’re very comfortable when we call their names.”
 
Peterson said he saw glimpses of past LSU greats in this young secondary.
 
“[Reid] kind  of reminds me of LaRon [Landry],” Peterson said. “That’s who Eric reminded me of when we were watching film. He was getting around the ball so quick, corralling the ball, making a couple key tackles, coming out with his checks, he was really, really sharp Saturday.”
 
The offensive line lost a starter for the second time this season when Hurst went down with an ankle injury.
 
Miles said Hurst’s injury is “temporary” but said he likely will not play this Saturday.
Filling in for Hurst against Alabama was 6-foot-5-inch junior Greg Shaw.
 
Miles said he expects the same to happen this week against Louisiana-Monroe but is leaving room for possible changes.
 
“We like Shaw, and that’s certainly one way we can go,” Miles said. “But we’re looking at a couple other things just to see and at worst provide us with some quality adjustments in case someone else goes down.”
 
Shaw saw action in just one game last season and has played in seven games this season.
 
Despite the minimal playing time, Shaw said the coaches and practices have gotten him up to speed for game action.
 
“Practicing against our guys, the speed was exactly the same,” Shaw said. “I just had to go, fast thinking, and you already know the plays so just do your job. I think I did well for the first time being out there in a big-time game.”
 
 
 
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Contact Mark Clements at [email protected]