Injuries cause adjustments.
Sometimes it’s a schematic shift based on the abilities of the player who goes down and the reserve taking his role. Sometimes it’s a new role for a starter.
No. 10 LSU (4-1, 1-1 in SEC) was served a heavy dose of injury trouble in September.
Both No. 7s, Trey’Dez Green at tight end and Whit Weeks at linebacker, suffered long-term injuries. Green sprained a ligament in his knee. Weeks broke his fibula and had surgery.
LSU still bludgeoned Texas A&M (35-6) and had no trouble with McNeese (63-14).
Weeks cannot be replaced from an emotional standpoint. He’s the team captain for a reason. However, it’s nice to have the SEC returning leader in tackles to fill the role of playcaller.
TJ Dottery wore the green dot helmet for coach-to-player communication a season ago at Ole Miss, and it’s back now. Head coach Lane Kiffin felt giving Weeks those duties would free Dottery to play faster to begin the season.
“We took it out of him when he got here,” Kiffin said. “He did it last year, and Pete (Golding), who’s a great coach, has a lot of information in his system. Pete is amazing. He gives so much information to TJ at times, I felt like it was great because TJ could tell everybody else what to do. But at the same time, it’s hard to play fast when you get that. , coming here — I mean, you can ask TJ — he said he thought that it helped not getting so much information and being able just to play faster.”
Dottery welcomes the role that he played a season ago. He’s always considered himself a good communicator.
“It’s been good having it back again,” Dottery said. “I don’t feel like it slowed me down at all, honestly. Especially, just in this defense and the guys that I have around me who’re all in and know their assignment and know the same thing.”
Junior Davhon Keys and sophomore Tylen Singleton are filling in for Weeks next to Dottery. Both have significant experience, and Dottery feels they’ve adjusted to their new responsibilities with the team captain on the sideline.
“Talk about Davhon and his instincts of the game and knowledge of the pre-recognition of formations, and knowing what’s coming is awesome,” Dottery said. “Ty is one heck of an athlete who can fly around. So, just being able to get him on the field and make some plays and get him going. It’s awesome.”
Offensively, LSU doesn’t have a proven veteran to fill Green’s role. The likely first-round pick possesses a 6-foot-7 frame and athleticism unique to this LSU roster – most rosters, at that.
Instead of trying to have a reserve play Green’s role, LSU has shifted to some other targets. Jackson Harris beat Texas A&M deep for his first two touchdowns of the year. Roman Mothershed, who is 6-foot-4, caught a touchdown against McNeese.
Zach Grace has been asked to lend a hand in the blocking department. Quarterback Sam Leavitt has had to find other options than his long, rangy security planet at tight end.
“I wouldn’t say like we’ve done dramatically too many different things,” Leavitt said. “Zach and Roman and Malachi (Thomas) have done a great job stepping up and playing the role that we need them to play. I mean, it’s not like the middle of the field just opened up because Trey’Dez isn’t in the game.
“You always adjust with the players you have, and you’re never going to replace a guy like that,” Leavitt said. “Hopefully he’s coming back here soon, but props to all the other guys in the room.”
Kiffin has insisted that significant injuries are more detrimental now than in years past because the transfer portal has compromised depth. It could be argued that not having Green hurt LSU’s final push to even the score at Ole Miss. Aside from that, the Tigers have looked the part of a top-10 team.
October brings three more SEC games, two on the road, before a bye week that could bring some reinforcements, likely first from Green. Perhaps Weeks can enter the fold.
For now, the reserves and starters in new roles will have to produce.
“Just trying to keep that next man up mentality,” Dottery said. “Coach Kiffin and all the coaches honestly talk about it all the time. Every coach says that you’re one play away from playing. So, just prepare like you’re a starter.”
