Edge rusher BJ Ojulari was held out of that game after suffering a knee injury in the opener against Florida State.
Luckily, his absence didn’t prove too costly last week. However, with a much stricter opponent coming to town this week in Mississippi State, LSU needs Ojulari on the field.
Fans got some good news on Monday, as coach Brian Kelly said he expects the preseason First Team All-SEC selection to suit up on Saturday against the Bulldogs.
“We expect him to be available based on my conversations with our doctors yesterday,” Kelly said.
Ojulari is a team captain, and he earned the prestigious No. 18 jersey this offseason as the on and off-field leader of this defense. He finished with six tackles in the season opener, and though he didn’t get a sack, he accounted for three of the team’s four total quarterback hurries.
The Tigers are already thin on the defensive line after interior player Maason Smith was lost for the year with a torn ACL in Week 1. They may, however, get a piece back in the secondary, as the coaches are optimistic that injured Ohio State transfer cornerback Sevyn Banks will make his LSU debut.
With Mississippi State’s air-raid offense — which is led by one of the SEC’s best passers in Will Rogers — getting to the quarterback will be necessary on Saturday. Ojulari’s hopeful return should make doing so a lot easier.
