LSU moving on following the Harold Perkins injury

LSU football coach Brian Kelly is disappointed linebacker Harold Perkins will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Perkins suffered a devastating knee injury in last Saturday’s win over UCLA.

Perkins was not stuffing the stat sheet this year with sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions, but he is still someone who can wreck an opposing offense’s day according to coach Brian Kelly.

Perkins also can do multiple things, rush the passer, make tackles in space and drop back in coverage.

“We don’t have any of those guys hanging around the locker room,” Kelly said.

While Perkins will be missed, Kelly said the defense will not lose its identity or fall apart.

“He is a great player, but there are ten other players that make that thing happen and I think it really helps now that our guys understand all eleven have to work harder and together to be the defense we want to be,” Kelly said.

So how do you try to replace Perkins?

Kelly said when they have three linebackers on the field, Whit Weeks would replace Perkins at the strongside linebacker and his brother West would play middle linebacker. Greg Burns would be at weakside linebacker.

When LSU lines up in a nickel defense, meaning five defensive backs, Major Burns would take Perkins place in what is known as the STAR position in LSU’s defense. It’s basically a hybrid linebacker-defensive back.

While Perkins is done for the season, speedy wide receiver Chris Hilton is set to make his debut this Saturday against South Alabama. Hilton was dressed for the first time last Saturday against UCLA, but did not play. He suffered a bone bruise during preseason camp.

Kelly said Hilton gives the Tigers an added dimension in what is already an outstanding passing game.

“If we can add that vertical passing game, another element to it, I think it makes the passing game even better,” Kelly said.

The Tigers are facing a very good offensive team this week. After opening the season with losses to North Texas and Ohio, South Alabama has scored a combined 135 points in blowout victories over Northwestern State and Appalachian State.

Jaguars starting quarterback is a redshirt freshman, Gio Lopez, who rushed and threw for over 100 yards last week. And freshman running back Fluff Bothwell is averaging nearly ten yards a carry.

South Alabama’s head coach is Major Applewhite. A former star quarterback at Catholic High in Baton Rouge, who went on to play at Texas.