Even during a quiet bye week before LSU football’s most pivotal matchup yet against Ole Miss next week, there’s plenty to say about this growing Tiger football team.
Brian Kelly held his weekly press conference on Tuesday, and highlighted areas where the team has grown, including the special teams where many projected LSU would struggle.
In addition, Kelly highlighted the contributions of the true freshman class, attributing their success to the early start they got coming in for spring practices.
Here are more things Kelly mentioned at the press conference.
Kelly was tight-lipped about injury statuses
During the bye week, when teams aren’t required to submit injury reports, Kelly and LSU have chosen to keep things to themselves.
“You’re not going to get much from me on injuries this week,” Kelly joked. “Unless you guys want to hang out at Our Lady of the Lake and stand in front of the MRI machine or whatever you guys do.”
Particularly, LSU is dealing with injuries to freshman running back Caden Durham (foot), grad transfer wide receiver CJ Daniels (knee) and redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. (ankle).
Durham suffered the injury at the very end of an eight-yard touchdown run where an offensive lineman fell on his foot.
Daniels, according to Kelly, re-aggravated a past ACL injury, but the diagnosis came out positive.
Hilton has missed the first five games of the season despite coaches expressing optimism that he’d play prior to the last two. He’s had a lingering issue that’s kept him off the field.
“We’ll have our guys for Ole Miss,” Kelly said.
LSU isn’t taking it easy on the bye week
Kelly said after the South Alabama game that LSU would be practicing hard during its bye week. On Tuesday, he laid out what that’s looked like so far.
The team’s Tuesday practice went almost two hours in full pads, Kelly said. Keeping at it is necessary for a team that’s still working to hit its stride.
“We just have too much development to be done,” Kelly said. “We still have a lot of work left, and we need to take advantage of this week.”
Kelly emphasized that the team was balancing giving the team time to recover, but the main focus has been getting in the work that’s needed.
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Caden Durham is still growing despite breakout
Kelly again talked about the strides of Durham, who had an explosive game for LSU against South Alabama with 217 total yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s made it happen, and he’s earned it through an opportunity that was given to him,” Kelly said.
However, Kelly also highlighted an area where Durham still needs to improve: pass protection. Kelly characterized him as “competent” in that area, but others on the team like sixth-year running back Josh Williams are naturals at pass-blocking.
“He has to think about it, so sometimes he’s a click behind,” Kelly said. “We want it to be kind of unconscious competence.”
Kelly also made note that even though Durham started the game at running back last week, turning the first play with a 71-yard touchdown, that had more to do with the play call – which required Durham’s speed – than his spot on the depth chart.
