By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – A priority position where 16th-ranked LSU can’t afford to lose a player because of an injury is defensive tackle, especially their most experienced.
Which is exactly what happened in the Tigers’ 44-21 victory over Nicholls Saturday night in Tiger Stadium when senior starter Jacobian Guillory suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. As a result, Shreveport true freshman Gabe Reliford seems likely to get a battlefield promotion.
“Jacobian was a very technically sound, physically strong football player,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said during his weekly Monday in-season press conference previewing the Tigers’ (1-1, 0-0 SEC) upcoming SEC opener at South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday. “He’ll be the first to tell you he wasn’t a very dynamic pass rusher. We know what he was and what he wasn’t, so now you’ve got to look who can make up for that.
“Anytime you lose a good player, you don’t necessarily make up for what he did. You try to do some other things differently that complement the guys you have.”
Guillory played in 41 LSU games, starting 5. The remaining defensive tackles next in line to replace Guillory are mostly young, talented, and inexperienced.
Sophomore Shone Washington, a 6-4, 298-pound sophomore transfer from East Mississippi Community College, had 3 tackles vs. Nicholls when he took over Guillory’s vacancy. Dominick McKinley, a 6-5, 273-pound Lafayette Acadiana High standout who was rated the state’s best high school player last season, may also be thrown into the fire.
“There’s also some guys that maybe we can move inside from defensive end to give us some more snaps,” Kelly said. “We’re talking 15 to 20 more reps inside.”
The likely D-end candidates who might slip into the tackle rotation are senior Paris Shand (6-5, 275) and true freshman Gabe Reliford (6-2, 270) of Shreveport and Evangel Christian Academy.
Reliford, credited for 4 tackles in the win over Nicholls, turned heads throughout preseason practice.
Kelly also addressed LSU’s rushing attack, which ranks 116th of 133 nationally and last in the 16-team SEC averaging 88.5 yards per game.
He said quarterback Garrett Nussmeier checked four run plays to passes vs. Nicholls when Nussmeier noticed the Colonels had one extra player in the box that would have gone unblocked.
“This has to do with how teams have wanted to defend us,” Kelly said. “They don’t want us to run the football.
“I told (offensive coordinator) Joe Sloan that we don’t have to run it and show everybody we’re big and bad. If we have an offensive line that protects like they have, I’ll get Garrett Nussmeier to throw against Cover 1 (man-to-man defense.).”
Nussmeier has completed 57 of 76 passes for 610 yards and all 8 of LSU’s touchdowns.
KNOW THE ENEMY
No. 16 LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC) at South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC), Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, Saturday, 11 a.m. CT (ABC)
Last game for Gamecocks: Won SEC opener at Kentucky 31-9. QB LaNorris Sellers threw two touchdown passes and Nick Emmanwori returned one of South Carolina’s two interceptions for another score. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders rushed for a 6-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to help break the game open.
Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 19-2-1. LSU won 52-24 in 2020 in Baton Rouge when Tigers QB TJ Finley threw for 285 yards and 2 TDs and WR Terrance Marshall had 6 catches for 88 yards and 2 TDs.
South Carolina head coach: Shane Beamer (22-18 in four seasons overall and at South Carolina)
THIS AND THAT
Early betting line: LSU by 7
Number of Louisiana natives on South Carolina roster: 1
Number of South Carolina natives on LSU roster: 0
Number of transfers on South Carolina roster from 4-year schools: 19 players from 18 schools including 10 players from 9 Power 4 Conference schools
SOUTH CAROLINA PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB LaNorris Sellers (20 of 37 for 280 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception, 57 yards rushing and 1 TD on 30 carries), RB Rocket Sanders (142 yards rushing and 2 TDs on 37 carries), WR Mazeo Bennett Jr. (5 catches for 81 yards, 1 TD), DE Dylan Stewart (6 tackles, 2 ½ sacks, 2 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles), DE Kyle Kennard (5 tackles, 3½ sacks, 2 forced fumbles), PK Alex Herrera 4 of 5 field goals, 6 of 6 extra points), P Kal Kroger (46.4 ypp, 3 fair catches, 3 inside the 20, 4 50-yard plus punts).
THREE AND OUT
1. What football movie was filmed in Williams-Brice Stadium?
A. The Waterboy
B. The Program
C. Remember the Titans
D. All the Right Moves
2. Who’s the only South Carolina player to win the Heisman Trophy?
A. Roy Riegels
B. Roy Rogers
C. George Rogers
D. Fred Rogers
3. Who guided South Carolina to its only conference football championship in school history?
A. Lou Holtz
B. Steve Spurrier
C. Sparky Woods
D. Paul Dietzel
ANSWERS: 1. B 2. C. 3. D
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com