LSU football has shifted its prep to Houston before it heads to Los Angeles to open its 2021 season against UCLA, but everything else appears to be on track.
Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said on ESPN 104.5's Off the Bench that the team got into the Houston Texans' NRG Stadium this week for some work, and they'll head out west on Thursday before holding a practice in the Rose Bowl Friday.
"I never dreamed I’d be taking the Tigers to the Rose Bowl," said Orgeron, who spent several years out west with USC, "but I’m excited about it.”
But that excitement is tempered by the current state of Louisiana as it recovers from Hurricane Ida, which devastated coastal communities and left large swaths of the state without power as the Category 4 storm made landfall Sunday and moved inland with winds in excess of 150 mph.
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The New Orleans Saints are currently in Dallas and preparing contingencies for where they'll play their opener if the Caesars Superdome is unable to host game, while Tulane relocated to Florida and has announced their opener against Oklahoma will be played on the road in Norman.
“All our thoughts and our prayers are with our fans in the great state of Louisiana," Orgeron said. "We’re hurting for them. I promise you all our guys are focused in, dialed in to play a great game for our fans.”
He added that he's been in touch with family and friends in south Louisiana, and all are healthy as they handle the aftermath of the storm.
"We’re resilient and we’re gonna fight just like everybody else,” Orgeron said.
STINGLEY BACK TO WORK
LSU football got some good news as it preps for UCLA, with star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. getting back to practice after missing much of the past two weeks dealing with a nagging injury.
Orgeron said he returned to the field this week and looked good, albeit with a slow start as he geared back into action. LSU's coach has been bullish on his star defensive back's availability for the opener, as well as several others who have been dinged up in camp. The only long-term injuries were to quarterback Myles Brennan (broken arm) and defensive lineman Glen Logan (foot), both of whom are expected back at some point this season.
"Once [Stingley] warmed up he was fine, Eli Ricks was fine," Orgeron said. "We think we’re going to have most of our team, not all of our team, but most of our team coming back ready to go."
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