LSU’s 42-21 road loss at Kentucky last Saturday had additional bad news on Monday.
LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron, appearing during his weekly news conference, confirmed that sophomore wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, whose nine receiving touchdowns led the SEC and nation, would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a lower leg injury in Saturday’s game.
Orgeron originally said that Boutte and defensive end Ali Gaye would definitely be out of this Saturday’s home game Florida. Near the end of the news conference, Orgeron was then prompted by Baton Rouge Advocate columnist Scott Rabalais who was looking for clarification on a report from On3Sports.com that Boutte was out for the season when Orgeron did an about face and confirmed the report.
The loss of Boutte’s the latest blow to an LSU team which has dropped back-to-back games and takes a 3-3 overall record and 1-2 Southeastern Conference mark into the Florida game which will kick off at 11 a.m. in Tiger Stadium. As Louisiana sports betting begins this week, the Tigers are a 10-point underdog.
LSU lost the services of defensive starters Jared Small and Andre Anthony with season-ending injuries along with dealing with injuries to cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jay Ward that have kept them out of games. The Tigers have also had three of five starters on the offensive line (Austin Deculus, Chasen Hines, Cam Wire) miss time this season.
Boutte, who caught at least one pass in a 38-game career with 83 catches for 1,243 yards and 143 TDs, was the team’s leading receiver during the past two seasons. He topped LSU this season with 38 catches for 509 yards and 9 TDs – including a season-high 9 grabs for 148 yards and 3 TDs in a season-opening loss at UCLA.
Boutte suffered the season-ending injury midway through the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game with LSU trailing Kentucky, 35-14. He went up near his team’s sideline for an acrobatic 37-yard catch and first down to Kentucky’s 22-yard line, helping to set up a 2-yard TD run from Ty Davis-Price with 5:29 remaining in the game.
Boutte, a native of New Iberia, burst of the scene near the conclusion of his freshman season when the team’s top receiver – Terrace Marshall – opted out with three games remaining in the season.
He wound up with a team-high 45 catches for 735 yards and 5 TDs, highlighted by a 14-catch game in the season finale for a SEC-record 308 yards and three touchdowns.
Boutte was named to the SEC’s All-Freshman team and Football Writers Association of America’s Freshman All-America team.
Tigers do not look like a team. Talent is there, but teamwork and basic discipline seem to be missing. Maybe due to new guys replacing injured, but this sounds like a 3 and 8 season coming on fast. Coach O is in trouble. May be able to save himself, but only if our Tigers can win at least another 2 games. Outlook is bleak only UL-MONROE looks like a win (maybe?)if they continue to play like this past week. They looked better against Auburn, at least defensively. Wife says Coach O’s life is a mess and it’s reflected in the teams performance? I don’t know that’s true, but I do know the team is missing something? Leadership? Motivation? Discipline? Teamwork? With Boutte gone so is leadership (according to Coach O). The QB should be the leader on offense – time for Johnson to clearly step into the role – he has the talent, but can’t do it all by himself. Wisdom from an old Istrouma High School football coach: Football is WAR without lethal weapons – it’s kill or be killed (your motivation)and each player doing their job on each and every play (discipline and teamwork). You have to beat the other team into submission for 60 minutes. After 60 then pick them up and shake their hands. GO TO WAR Tigers!