Brian Kelly reveals LSU's injury report entering Missouri week

The LSU Tigers came up just short on the road on Saturday, falling to the Ole Miss Rebels in a high-scoring affair. LSU failed to hang on to a late fourth-quarter nine-point lead, losing to Ole Miss 55-49.

That game is in the rearview mirror, and the program now has its sights set on an SEC Tigers showdown with Missouri. However, before their Week 6 matchup, LSU head coach Brian Kelly provided an injury report update on some of the Tigers who got dinged up against the Rebels on Monday.

“We have Chris Hilton, Omar Speights, and Aaron Anderson,” said Kelly. “We would list those guys, as of yesterday, questionable. (Kyren) Lacey and Javen Nicholas as probable. Those are our guys. Lower body for the first three guys. And the same for the next two that are probable.”

LSU football is a program known more for its defensive prowess. The Tigers recently had a warranted claim for the title of DBU, given the sheer amount of NFL talent they have produced over the past two decades.

However, this season, LSU’s defense has had a tough time stopping opposing offenses. In their two losses, both against ranked opponents, LSU has given up an average of 50 points per game. Despite the injuries to some of their defensive starters like Speights, LSU must find a way to channel the fortitude of defenses past to pick up the victory in Week 6 over Missouri and keep their SEC championship hopes alive.

Kelly identifies inexperience as issue with tackling

In an offensive shootout with Ole Miss, LSU simply couldn’t get enough stops. The Tigers had a real issue with tackling in the contest.

But according to Kelly, there’s only so much that the team can do about that. It ultimately comes down to players making plays.

“One’s a true freshman. One’s playing for his first time, in Laterrance Welch, ever on the road,” Kelly said. “I could go on, I mean, we were playing with inexperienced young players. And that’s who we have, there’s nobody else walking through the door. I mean, we don’t have another corner. These are the guys that have to play for us.”

LSU’s struggles defensively were stark. Ole Miss gained 706 yards in the contest, with an evenly split 317 yards on the ground and 389 yards through the air.

Whichever way the Tigers turned there were Rebels running by, through and around them.