LSU not ruling out Edwards-Helaire for semifinal against Oklahoma
Published 7:00 pm Tuesday, December 24, 2019
So he’s saying there’s a chance …
Not a big one, perhaps.
But on Monday LSU head coach Ed Orgeron didn’t rule out that running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a key cog in the Tigers’ NCAA-leading offense, might play Saturday against Oklahoma after all.
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“It’s going to be a day-to-day deal,” Orgeron said Monday in his first media appearance since the Tigers arrived in Atlanta Sunday night for the . “But I promise you this — it’s a little bit better than what I thought last week. He has a chance to play. I don’t know if he’s going to play. It’ll be day-by-day.”
The Tigers will play Oklahoma Saturday in the Peach Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff.
Edwards-Helaire injured a hamstring during a non-contact drill in Baton Rouge early last week. Orgeron admitted at the time it didn’t look good.
In videos of LSU’s arrival Sunday, Edwards-Helaire did not seemed to favoring
“He is off the crutches and off the scooter,” Orgeron said. “We will see if he can do something tomorrow (Tueday) at practice Orgeron said.
Edwards-Helaire is a vital piece of the high-powered offense and has come up biggest in the biggest games, such as Alabama when he scored four touchdowns, three rushing and another on a reception.
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He has run for 1,290 yards and is also the third-leading receiver with 50 catches for 399 yards.
He’s also the LSU’s best option when he stays in to protect Hesiman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow.
If Edwards-Helaire is unavailable, it will be running back by committee, mostly with freshmen Tyrian Davis-Price and John Emery.
Davis-Price has 270 yards and six touchdowns on 60 carries while Emery has 182 on 36 with three scores.
Sophomore Chris Curry could also get a look.
“Clyde did everything well,” Orgeron said. “We are going to have to adjust if Clyde doesn’t play and rotate those backs to doing what they can do best. All three of them are getting ready to go.
“It’s thunder and lightning,” Orgeron said when comparing Emery and Davis-Price. “And Chris is coming along. He’s a very bruising back. A dominating back.
“I think Tyrion’s been the most consistent back. He can run the football in the middle. He can get to the outside. John has the ability to break the long one.”
Oklahoma, which arrived in Atlanta Monday, won’t be at full strength for certain.
OU head coach Lincoln Riley confirmed that three Sooners are suspended for the game, including leading pass rusher Ronnie Perkins, who has six sacks for 28 yards.
Also suspended are backup running back Rhamondre Stevenson, the Sooner’s third-leading rusher with 515 yards and six touchdowns, and wide receiver Trejan Bridges, who has only seven catches this season and mostly contributed on special teams.
Also likely missing will be starting safety Delarrin Turner-Yell, who reportedly broke his collarbone in practice last week.
“Our expectations are that he will not play,” Riley said.
Turner-Yell is the Sooners’ second-leading tackler with 75. He’ll be replaced by Justin Broiles, who has 15 tackles in 11 games and one pass broken up.
“We don’t even factor that in, say , hey, this is going to be an advantage,” Orgeron said of the missing Sooners. “We have a next-man-up theory, I’m sure Coach Riley has the same thing.
“It (Oklahoma) is a top program. They’ve done a great job of recruiting. I’m sure the next man up is chomping at the bit, may have his best game.
“Again, it’s never going to be about our opponent. It’s about us and how we execute.”
Nor did he think Oklahoma gets an advantage if Edwards-Helaire doesn’t play, at least in preparing for the Tigers’ offense.
“I don’t think (Oklahoma) knows our backs,” he said. “I don’t think they know our backs like we do. Obviously, we’re not going to do the same thing and put the same back in every time. We’re going to switch things up.”
LSU Tigers running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (22) looks for a hole in the Texas A&M Aggies defense to run through during the Southeastern Conference matchup at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Saturday, November 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Lake Charles American Press, Kirk Meche)
