Harold Perkins Jr., a linebacker for LSU, hurt his knee during the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ 34-17 victory over UCLA at home on Saturday. He was assisted off the field. Perkins was hurt on a tackle attempt and was declared out of the game by the trainers, who ushered him into the injury tent. He got out of the tent and went on his own strength to the changing room, covering his head with a towel. Following the game, LSU coach Brian Kelly spoke about the injury.
Kelly noted, “He’s injured,” during his press conference following the game. “We’re not sure. All of the diagnostic testing will be completed tonight and tomorrow. On Monday, we’ll have a more thorough response for you.
Kelly stated that while he hopes Perkins’ injury is not too serious, LSU’s defensive system won’t need to be much altered if he is off for a lengthy period of time. Next week, the Tigers will play host to South Alabama before having a bye and a big game against Ole Miss.
“Our leaders are outstanding,” Kelly remarked. “We possess Greg Penn. I hope Perkins is doing well. We possess Greg Penn. We have the Weeks of Whit. Next week, West Weeks will return. He has been an excellent football player for us. We’re able to remain in our Buffalo bundle. We are now able to return to our normal package. Major Burns can be put down. There are many of possibilities for us there. We’re hoping all is well with him. We can go into other packages that are similar to what we’ve been doing, but we really hope he comes back for us.”
Prior to the injury, Perkins recorded two tackles. With 17 tackles this season, including 1.5 for loss, the former five-star recruit is ranked fourth on the team. After recording 5.5 sacks in the previous season and 7.5 as a rookie in 2022, he hasn’t had a sack through four games. As of last week, Glen West of Geaux247 wrote that Perkins was “on the verge of becoming a non-factor in the defense”.
At the half, LSU and UCLA were knotted, 17–17. In the second half, the Tigers’ defense buckled and kept the Bruins scoreless. Kelly stated that while he was pleased with the defense’s progress, it still needs to polish a few areas before facing the majority of SEC opponents.
“It’s just maddening some of the silly mistakes that we’re making on defense that just have to go away,” Kelly stated. “South Alabama will field a very strong team. This is where Major Applewhite is originally from. His football team will be fired up and ready to play. There is a lot of skill in South Alabama. They have a few really talented young players. For that football team, we have to be prepared. After that, the schedule’s main content is covered. Though there is still work to be done, we have made some progress. This group of players is talented enough to challenge for an SEC title. We have to correct the little errors.”
Leave a Reply