LSU football is coming off a 44-21 win against Nicholls State and will travel to Columbia this weekend to play South Carolina.
The Gamecocks had a dominant road win on Saturday, defeating Kentucky 31-6.
The two teams will face off in a College GameDay Matchup, and kickoff is at noon eastern time.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly addressed the media on Monday to give an injury report, preview South Carolina and recap the Nicholls game.
Injury report
Besides losing defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory for the season, the Tigers are going into their SEC opener against South Carolina with a relatively healthy roster.
Guillory is going into surgery with an Achilles tendon rupture, but the coaches are talking with Guillory’s family about a medical redshirt.
“Jacobian was a very technically sound, physically strong player,” Kelly said. “You know what you’re losing from that standpoint, but we know what he wasn’t as well.”
Kelly said that instead of trying to replace Guillory, the Tigers are going to embrace the assets that Guillory’s successor brings.
Shone Washington filled Guillory’s snaps on Saturday and is expected to continue in the rotation.
Offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger is cleared to practice on Tuesday, while receiver Chris Hilton is still being assessed on a day-to-day basis.
“It’s just a matter of time now with Chris. When he starts to feel really good… we’ll get him back on the field,” Kelly said.
Receiver Kyle Parker is still questionable, but is expected to see the field Saturday.
“Kyle Parker is improving. We’re trying to get full strength back from that nerve that got pinched,” Kelly said. “I think he’s probably a guy that will find himself ready by the end of the week.”
South Carolina preview
South Carolina is LSU’s first opportunity to prove itself in a true away environment.
“With College Gameday, it’s obviously gonna be a great environment,” Kelly said. “A great opportunity for us to take a step in the development of our football team, and obviously continue to work to get better.”
The Gamecocks are 2-0 with momentum from a road win at Kentucky.
South Carolina has an explosive offense with dual-threat quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Similar to LSU, the Gamecocks have a lot of depth with wide receivers.
On the other side of the ball, South Carolina leads the SEC in sacks.
“This is a defense with an outstanding front,” Kelly said. “They run both 3-down and 4-down and made it really difficult for Kentucky last week.”
The Tigers are also battling external forces, as a hurricane is brewing in the gulf. However, Kelly didn’t seem too worried.
“There’s one thing that I’ve learned about being here at LSU,” Kelly said. “There are plans over plans over plans when it comes to when people talk about a hurricane.”
Nicholls recap
Kelly opened the press conference with a recap of the Nicholls game. He said after going over the game film, the coaching staff uncovered positive takeaways.
“We get an opportunity to spend seven hours dissecting filming, going over the game plan and watching, and as I got a chance to do that with our staff and meeting with the staff, there were a lot more good things that happened in that game that I was able to articulate after the game,” Kelly said.
LSU had multiple freshman step up, including running back Ju’Juan Johnson who played his first game as running back after switching from corner. Johnson scored a touchdown two minutes before halftime to increase the Tigers’ lead.
Kelly also spoke about cornerback Zy Alexander’s performance against the Colonels. It was his first game back after tearing his ACL last season. Alexander had three total tackles.
When looking at the front lines, Kelly said the offense was physical against Nicholls’ seven- or eight-man front. While LSU couldn’t get many rushing yards, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had the protection to execute passing plays.
“We needed to throw the football… We’re going to do tactically and technically what is the most appropriate thing,” Kelly said. “That’s why Garrett Nussmeier leads the country in touchdown passes right now.”
Kelly compared the Nicholls game to coaching Notre Dame against Navy. He said they both had a difficult offense to defend.
