Junior running back Leonard Fournette is expected make his return Saturday versus No. 23 Ole Miss, LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron said.
Orgeron said Fournette has been heavily involved with the team and that he even gave a speech to the team at halftime in LSU’s 45-10 win versus Southern Miss.
“You could feel the fire in him,” Orgeron said. “I guess the injury took a toll on him mentally and physically. He felt he couldn’t help his team. He wanted to help his team. He wanted to be a part of a few things going on. He did help me at halftime. He helped me on the sideline, and I know he’s going to help us with the ball in his hand.”
Fournette has missed the last two games and three total this season — against Jacksonville State, Missouri and Southern Miss — because of a lingering ankle injury he suffered in fall camp and re-injured in LSU’s season opener against Wisconsin.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound tailback seemed to re-injure his ankle again in LSU’s 18-13 loss to Auburn and has not practiced in three weeks.
Orgeron said he isn’t sure how much Fournette will be used against Ole Miss, but that will let him practice this week and “see how it goes.”
In the three games he’s played this season, Fournette rushed for 386 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomore running back Derrius Guice, Fournette’s replacement, leads LSU with 564 rushing yards and six touchdowns in three starts.
Against Southern Miss, Guice became LSU’s fastest running back to hit the 1,000-yard mark on 113 carries.
Other injury updates
Sophomore offense guard Will Clapp did not play in LSU’s 45-10 win versus Southern Miss on Saturday.
Last week Orgeron said Clapp “would be out for a while,” but said Monday that he’ll try to practice this week.
“We expect Will Clapp to be back at practice this week,” Orgeron said. “How much he can move, we’ll see. Having Will Clapp helps us.”
Clapp and sophomore offensive lineman Maea Teuhema were listed as alternates in starting left guard position on LSU’s official depth chart. Teuhema, who has played left tackle, left guard and right tackle this season, started in place of Clapp last week.
Sophomore right tackle Toby Weathersby and sophomore tight end Foster Moreau are both “questionable” to play against Ole Miss, Orgeron said.
Weathersby is hampered by an ankle injury he suffered in the Tigers 23-20 win versus Mississippi State. The 6-foot-5, 302-pound offensive lineman started in two games this season before being injured.
Moreau hasn’t played because of an undisclosed injury.
“Toby’s feeling a lot better,” Orgeron said. “He’s going to go out and do a couple things this week. He’s questionable for the game. There’s a slight possibility that both of them will play.”
LSU using 2015 loss as motivation
LSU’s last visit to Oxford wasn’t one to remember.
But Orgeron is using last season’s 38-17 defeat as a motivation tool before they face the Rebels on Saturday.
“These guys beat us last year in every aspect of the game,” Orgeron said. “I remember the game. They were on fire. We want to be on fire this year.”
The Tigers have won their last three matchups with Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium but aren’t overlooking the Rebels, who rank No. 5 in the Southeastern Conference in total offense.
“This is a tough and very good Ole Miss football team,” Orgeron said.

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Michael Palmer

Interim coach Ed Orgeron takes the stage at the weekly press conference on Monday Oct. 10, 2016 in the Moran Family Center for Athletic Administration building on Saturday Oct. 1, 2016.