The LSU offensive line has rolled with the punches through injuries and suspensions en route to a 5-0 start, but the status of one of the key cogs that’s kept the group together is suddenly up in the air.
Center Lloyd Cushenberry is “very questionable” to play against Florida on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, LSU coach Ed Orgeron said at his week Monday press conference.
“Lloyd is very questionable for the game,” Orgeron said. “We’ll know more toward the end of the week.”
Orgeron has often praised Cushenberry as LSU’s most steady performer along the offensive line this season. He left late in Saturday’s 45-16 win over Ole Miss with an injury Orgeron initially described as minor.
True freshman Cole Smith replaced Cushenberry, his collegiate debut. He’ll take first-team center reps in the likely event that Cushenberry isn’t able to practice for parts — if not all — of this week.
“Cole did good,” Orgeron said. “Obviously it was his first day, so he was excited. He’s from Mississippi. Hopefully we can get him some more snaps. I don’t know how much Lloyd is going to practice in the beginning of the week, so he’s going to have to practice this week.”
Orgeron was relatively pleased with how the rookie performed in his first live action, but he acknowledged that LSU has a major depth problem at center.
If Cushenberry can’t go, Smith is the only other center on the roster. Garrett Brumfield, who has served as the emergency center in years past, is still at least a week away from returning from a knee injury suffered against Louisiana Tech.
“We need to find a backup center,” Orgeron said. “Right now we don’t have one.”
BURROW OPOTW
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow received SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his career performance against Ole Miss, the league office announced Monday morning.
Burrow established new career-highs in passing (292 yards), rushing (96 yards) and total offense (388 yards) and accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in the 45-16 victory.
This is the second time this season Burrow has been named SEC Offensive Player of the Week. The other came from LSU’s come-from-behind victory at Auburn.
LSU-GEORGIA KICKOFF ANNOUNCED
Get ready for an afternoon kickoff at Tiger Stadium.
The potentially massive showdown between LSU and Georgia will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and be broadcast on CBS. It’ll be LSU’s third time in the featured CBS timeslot this season after LSU takes on Florida this Saturday afternoon in Gainesville.
It will be the first meeting between LSU and Georgia in Tiger Stadium since 2008. The last meeting between LSU and Georgia came in Athens in 2013.
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