LSU Finding Success in Secondary Despite Being Down Derek Stingley Jr.
The LSU secondary will be without All-American cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. for the second straight week, but feel comfortable with the defensive backs they have filling his role.
Stingley Jr.’s nagging injury will hold him out in Saturday’s contest against Auburn, but sophomore corner Dwight McGlothern has the chance to showcase his skillset again. In last week’s SEC opener against Mississippi State, McGlothern wreaked havoc all over the field, giving the Bulldogs problems all afternoon.
Orgeron harped on the rise of McGlothern and his ability to step into the starting role with Stingley Jr. out, praising his defensive instincts.
“The thing that impresses me with Dwight is his instinct and his feet,” Orgeron said. “He's very quick. He can change direction. He's tough. He's very smart. I thought he played very well. I think that one time he let the guy behind him, but they didn't complete the pass. He didn't have any major snafus. Didn't give up any touchdowns. I thought he did very well."
Against an Auburn team that has excellent running backs, this unit won’t have the luxury of dropping as many guys back in coverage like last weekend against Mississippi State. With the Tigers only rushing three guys last weekend, this gave the secondary a safety valve with so many players watching the passing attack.
Saturday will be a test for these defensive backs, with the opportunity to see more Elias Ricks and Cordale Flott success. The return of Jay Ward has given this unit a boost as well, hoping to take the pressure off the younger guys.
“I’m really pleased obviously with Cordale and having Jay Ward back is really helping us out,” Orgeron said. “I think those guys are playing really well.”
For Ricks, Orgeron is hoping to see him have his first true breakout game of the season this weekend in Death Valley.
“I think you have a guy like Elias Ricks that hadn’t even played his best game yet,” Orgeron said. “He does some really good stuff, but he’s got some improvement to make.”
The absence of a player of Stingley Jr.’s caliber is a huge loss for any team, but the Tigers have seen an abundance of players step up to get this secondary right, namely Flott. Orgeron has praisedthe junior corner for his impact in last weekend’s showdown against Mississippi State, hoping to see more of the same against Auburn.
“Cordale is a starter for us,” Orgeron said. “He's a tremendous player. You look at the slot position in the SEC, especially in the SEC West, you have to cover some of the best receivers in the country, guys that are potential first round draft choice, potential Heisman Trophy winners so that is a huge position for us."
Saturday’s test against the Auburn Tigers will give LSU a true test in the secondary. As the Bayou Bengals continue finding continuity on the defensive side of the ball, Saturday night’s primetime battle has the chance to be special in Death Valley.
