LSU WR Kayshon Boutte out for the season

Published 10:42 am Tuesday, October 12, 2021

The news wasn’t unexpected and for an already-embattled head coach it almost seemed like piling on.

But LSU’s Ed Orgeron confirmed Monday that receiver Kayshon Boutte, the Tigers’ best offensive player, is done for the season with a lower leg injury suffered late in Saturday’s loss to Kentucky.

Boutte joins a laundry list of key Tigers who’ll be missing for this week’s game with Florida, including LSU’s best defensive player in cornerback Derek Stingley, who’s been out for the last three games and is done for the “forseeable future.”

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“You don’t want injuries,” Orgeron said. “But it’s part of football.”

It seems to be more a part of this year’s LSU football than most.

Orgeron, who spent most of his weekly zoom briefing fielded questions about his dicey job security, said starting defensive end Ali Gaye will also miss Tiger Stadium’s 11 a.m. kickoff against the Gators.

They’ll join safeties Major Burns and Todd Harris, defensive tackle Joseph Evans and defensive end Andre Anthony, all of whom remain unavailable.

As best he can tell, Orgeron will still be available against the Gators, even as rumors and speculation about his LSU tenure reaches a fever pitch after a second straight loss, Saturday’s 42-21 setback at Kentucky, dropped the Tigers to 3-3.

“As well as we can, we’re going to put it behind us,” Orgeron said of the Kentucky loss, only the second time he’s lost consecutive games.

“Nobody’s told me about my job status,” Orgeron said. “As far as I know I’m the head coach of the LSU Tigers and that’s all the matters.

“I understand this is not the LSU standard of performance. I understand my job. I get it totally. I know exactly where I’m at. And I’m going to go to work today and don’t blink. I promise you. I will not blink — for anyone.”

On a positive note, LSU will get defensive tackle Glenn Logan back this week.

That could allow Orgeron to move freshmen Maason Smith, who filled in for Logan last week, back to his more natural spot at defensive end to replace Gaye.

But Boutte, who left the field at Kentucky on a cart after making one of his most acrobatic catches on the sideline, might have been LSU’s biggest loss yet.

On a struggling offense, the sophomore is tied for the national lead in touchdown receptions and has accounted for 9 of LSU’s 21 touchdowns this season.

He’s also tied for the LSU record with touchdown catches in seven consecutive games dating back to last season when he emerged as one of the nation’s top receiviers.

This year he had 38 receptions for 509 yards. LSU’s next top target is freshman Jack Bech with 22 receptions for 272 yards and one touchdown.