LSU ready for return to action vs. Utah St.
Published 6:00 pm Tuesday, October 1, 2019
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No news was good news for LSU head coach Ed Orgeron during the Tigers’ open date.
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“My phone didn’t ring one time,” he said of a coach’s worst nightmare when players have extra free time on their hands.
That mean’s everybody is in good shape and that’s much appreciated by the head coach.
The fifth-ranked Tigers (4-0) will get back in action Saturday when they host Utah State (3-1) at 11 a.m.
It’s LSU’s final non-conference game before beginning the SEC gauntlet beginning next week at home against Florida.
Orgeron spent the off weekend in Lake Charles, taking in the McNeese State game against Sam Houston State, where his son Cody is the Cowboys’ quarterback.
He and his wife Kelly left for Lake Charles Thursday, and Orgeron knew it was a different week when he got to drive her car.
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“I kept my company truck at home,” Orgeron said. “Drove her car. Usually I’m only allowed to drive it on Sundays to church.
“Put some country music on, put it down — what they call it? t-top, moon roof — put it down and went as fast as I can down the highway to Lake Charles.
“Went to the Cowboys’ game on Saturday, came back Sunday morning.”
When he got back, LSU’s injury situation hadn’t changed much with the depleted defense.
Defensive ends Rashard Lawrence, Glen Logan and rush linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson have all missed the last two games and linebacker Michael Divinity joined the list with an injury against Vanderbilt.
The injured are starting to return to practice, but Orgeron didn’t sound optimistic about getting any back for this week.
“We’ll have to see as the week goes if these guys are going to be ready,” Orgeron said.
Chaisson was at practices last week but did not participate in full drills.
“He’s not 100 percent back yet,” Orgeron said. “He tried to practice last week, did a couple of things.
“But he’s limited. We’re going to see where we can get with him this week. We definitely need him for the pass rush. And if he’s healthy, we’re going to play him. But I don’t know if he’s going to be ready.”
Lawrence returned to practice in a limited role Monday.
“He’s still a little gimpy,” Orgeron said.
He used the same adjective to describe Divinity.
“So we have see how the week goes to see if those guys are ready.”
HELP ON THE WAY: Orgeron isn’t sure how much he can play this week, but he expects recently reinstated offensive guard Ed Ingram back in lineup sooner than later.
Ingram, who was suspended from the team for more than a year after an arrest in the summer in 2018, was reinstated two weeks ago when the charges in his hometown of Dallas were dropped.
Ingram was arguably the Tigers best offensive lineman when he started 12 games as a freshman in 2017.
He began practicing on Sept. 20.
“He was very physical,” the coach said. “He was in good shape. Still has some conditioning, football conditioning left to do.
“I don’t know if he’s ready to go 60 plays, 80 plays without a break. I wouldn’t say that. We’re going to see how he does this week, but it was good to have him back.”
UNDER THE LIGHTS: Although this week’s Utah State game will be a rare morning affair for Tiger Stadium, the SEC announced on Monday that next week’s home game against Florida will be a 7 p.m. kickoff televised by ESPN.
Many had assumed that the Florida game would be picked up by CBS for its 2:30 p.m. time slot. But CBS chose Alabama at Texas A&M instead.
Utah St. at LSU
11 a.m., SECN
