How LSU Football Has Avoided Preseason Injuries Ahead of 2020 Season
The NFL saw multiple stars go down with season-ending or long-term injuries this weekend, prompting much speculation. Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Courtland Sutton, Malik Hooker and Drew Lock were just a few of the NFL players who went down with long-term injuries.
Some have speculated as to whether the unconventional offseason that saw no preseason games has anything to do with the injury-riddled weekend. Out of high school, college and professional football, college is the only level with no preseason games.
Instead non-conference games for powerhouse programs like LSU are used to not only get a good jump on the season but also help the teams adjust to the upcoming grueling SEC schedule. However, with the 2020 season being an all-conference schedule, LSU will jump right into battle with Mississippi State.
On Monday, coach Ed Orgeron was asked how the team has gone about avoiding preseason injuries and alluded to the three preseason games as a way the team has been able to lean into the physical hitting that comes with football.
"That's why we had those preseason games, that's why we had some tough days of camp. We had to have some physical days though not everyday was 11v11 all-out tackling," Orgeron said. "But we had a drill called bump combo drill where it's about five guys and we're getting after it pretty good. We had team pass, simulating a tough protection, a tough rush. We took spurts in which we could simulate game type style going best against best. The team that they see in practice is gonna be a pretty good football team every day."
The 2020 offseason plan put the primary focus on hitting and tackling on Tuesday and Wednesday, the most up tempo days of practice. Because the team can't tackle and take hits every day, there are some concerns that Orgeron has once the season actually starts on Saturday.
"You can't be 100%, the thing I worry about the first game is tackling because we don't tackle every day," Orgeron said. "We don't go to the ground everyday because you're gonna get hurt. I think some of those things are a concern but I think the process in which we practice is going to be very important."
While many players have contracted COVID-19 this offseason, there have been hardly any reported injuries on the practice field. Freshman defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory is battling a high ankle sprain according to Orgeron.
The program has eased safety Todd Harris back into practice after a significant knee injury suffered at the beginning of last season.
One player who has been off limits in practice in terms of hitting and getting knocked to the ground is quarterback Myles Brennan. Brennan famously came to campus a mere 170 pounds but has worked extremely hard on his body over the last few years to absorb those kind of SEC hits.
Part of what made Joe Burrow so captivating to watch, particularly in 2019, was his ability to scramble out of the pocket and take on those big hits for extra yards. Now weighing 220 pounds, Orgeron believes Brennan has the capability to take on some of those big hits in game.
"He's prepared himself, he's gotten stronger in the weight room and I think he's gonna handle it well,” Orgeron said. “Joe wanted to run you over but I think Myles is gonna be smart about diving when he needs to and do whatever he needs not to get hurt. I think when it comes down to taking a hit he's gonna be fine, he's gonna bounce back. In the SEC, you play very good defenses and expect your quarterbacks to take hits."
