By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – The current state of LSU’s football program and athletic department is a faintly beating pulse.
During last week’s open date from hell, head coach Brian Kelly, offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, and athletics director Scott Woodward were fired.
Now, the Tigers (5-3 overall, 2-3 SEC) must pick up the pieces and travel to No. 4 Alabama (7-1, 5-0) for a Saturday 6:30 p.m. date in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
It’s far from an ideal scenario for Frank Wilson, LSU’s running backs coach and associate head coach, who was promoted to interim after Kelly was fired a week ago Sunday.
But as Wilson pointed out at Monday’s press conference to start Alabama week, he’s adept at adapting to less-than-ideal situations in previous head coach stints at Texas-San Antonio and McNeese State.
He was the second head coach in Texas-San Antonio history and the first to lead it to a bowl in 2016.
Then, after being fired at UTSA at the end of the 2019 season with a 19-29 record, he took over a McNeese State program that was already ineligible for 2020 postseason play due to a low academic progress rate.
But that didn’t matter when COVID-19 resulted in the 2020 season being postponed and being reduced to seven games played the following spring in 2021.
In the meantime, Hurricane Laura and her Category 4 winds caused catastrophic damage in Lake Charles in late August 2020, severely damaging the McNeese athletic facilities.
Then six weeks later as the city was trying to rebuild, Lake Charles was hit by a Category 2 hurricane named Delta.
In early February 2021, just before McNeese was about to start playing its abbreviated 2020 schedule, Lake Charles was hit with a record deep freeze for 10 days.
Then in May 2021, the city experienced an unprecedented flash flood after 16 to 18 inches of rain fell in six hours.
That’s four federally declared disasters in nine months.
“My history has been probation, COVID, Laura, Delta, freeze, flood. . .troubleshooting is something we’ve done well,” said Wilson, who had a 7-11 McNeese record before resigning at the end of the 2021 season to immediately join Kelly’s staff for a second tour of duty with the Tigers.
“I’m prepared for this moment to lead our football team, to lead our university into a better place than what we’re currently in right now. Right now, our team is improving. I think we’re a better team today than we were last week, simply because the players have bought into the things that we are trying to accomplish.”
In the midst of last week’s turmoil, Wilson, who turns 52 on Wednesday, brought in former LSU players to speak with a team obviously rattled by the coaching staff shakeup.
“Everything you guys need is right here in this room,” former LSU quarterback Rohan Davey told the team. “Change comes, change happens. This is nothing but a preparation for when you’re ready to go on to where you’re going in your NFL career or simply in life as a father, as a business owner, wherever the good Lord sends you.
“The most important part during this time, in my opinion, is for you guys to band together. The guys (former LSU players standing) behind me, the coaches that you have here now, the guys you are with now when you look to your right, you look to your left, look in the front and look in the back of you, that’s all you’re going to need from here going forward.”
Those are inspirational words, but LSU’s injury report indicates the Tigers still desperately need a healthy left offensive tackle to guard starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s blind side.
Nussmeier has already been sacked 14 times this season in eight games, nearly equaling last season’s total of 16 in 13 games. He was sacked a career-high five times by Texas A&M, bringing his sack total to 36 in 38 career games.
Sophomore Tyree Adams, who started the first seven games at left offensive tackle, is likely out for the year after he had tightrope surgery on his right ankle. True freshman Carius Curne, who started in Adams’ place two Saturdays ago when Texas A&M destroyed LSU, 49-25, is nursing a leg injury.
So what happens if Curne can’t play vs. Alabama?
“Probably the most immediate thing would be, is to put DJ Chester (last year’s starting center) in that left tackle and do the things we need to do to allow him to play his very best,” Wilson said.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
LSU (5-3 overall, 2-3 in SEC) vs. No. 4 Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC), Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (ABC)
Last game for Alabama: Won at 29-22 at South Carolina on Oct. 25. The Crimson Tide overcame an eight-point fourth quarter deficit, scoring 15 points over the game’s final two-plus minutes.
Series record and last meeting: Alabama leads the series 56-27-5. Last season in Baton Rouge, Alabama hammered the Tigers 42-13.
Alabama head coach: Kalen DeBoer (120-17 in 11 seasons, 16-5 in second season at Alabama).
THIS AND THAT
Early betting line: Alabama favored by 12½
Number of Louisiana natives on Alabama roster: 1
Number of Alabama natives on LSU roster: 3
Number of transfers on Alabama roster from 4-year schools: 13 players from 9 schools, including 11 players from 7 Power 4 Conference schools
ALABAMA PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Ty Simpson (177 of 261 for 2,184 passing yards, 20 TDs, 1 interception), RB Jamarion Miller (308 rushing yards, 2 TDs on 80 carries), W Ryan Williams (33 catches for 495 yards, 3 TD, WR Germie Bernard (38 catches for 426 yards, 6 TDs), DB Bray Hubbard (49 tackles, 3 interceptions, 4 PBU), LB Justin Jefferson (53 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks), LB Yhonzae Pierre (29 tackles, 7½ TFL, 4 sacks, 8 QB hurries), PK Conor Talty (9 of 13 FG, 30 of 30 extra points), P Blake Doud (21 punts for 44.2 ypp, 1 touchback, 8 fair catches, 8 inside 20-yard line, 7 50-yard plus punts).
DID YOU KNOW. . .
Since 2000, LSU has more wins (6) in Tuscaloosa over Alabama than it does (5) in Baton Rouge.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com