LSU’s defense took an early beating in Oxford on Saturday, and the Tigers also had to deal with a worrying injury scare to one of their top players.
Safety Dashawn Spears went down after absorbing contact on a run by Ole Miss back Kewan Lacy. He remained on the turf, was evaluated by trainers, and eventually had to be helped off the field while putting very little weight on his left leg.
The sequence only added to a rough opening stretch for LSU, which was already trailing 17-0 when the injury happened. On the same drive, LSU starting running back Dilin Jones also left the field after a big run. He was able to come back shortly afterward and rejoin the Tigers as they moved toward the red zone.
Jones has been an important part of LSU’s early-season success, so his quick return was a welcome sight. Spears, though, appears to be a tougher case for the Tigers to navigate if he can’t get back on the field soon.
He entered the game with a strong start to the season, posting seven total tackles, including five solo stops, along with one sack and one pass breakup through LSU’s first two games.
Lane Kiffin has already praised Spears’ versatility at the STAR spot, saying in April, "If you can blitz like he can, cover and have length, that's really valuable. I'm really pleased with him, probably one of the more pleasing improvements of a player since we've gotten here,"
Spears’ 2024 season showed exactly why LSU values him so much. He played in all 13 games and made one start, finishing with 29 total tackles, 18 of them solo, three tackles for loss, one sack, two pass breakups and two interceptions. Both picks came against Florida, and one of them went 58 yards for a touchdown.
That performance earned him SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
LSU will be hoping the injury is not serious and that Spears can get back to producing the kind of plays that made him such a key piece of the defense.
In Other News...
LSU Fans Have One More Reason To Hate This Ole Miss Loss
Ole Miss left Baton Rouge with a 32-24 win over LSU, and Trinidad Chambliss had plenty to do with it. The Rebels quarterback piled up 363 passing yards, threw two touchdown passes and one interception, and also added a rushing score, turning in the kind of all-around performance that made LSU fans swallow a frustrating home loss.
As if the result itself were not enough, Chambliss gave Tigers fans one more annoyance after the final whistle. In a postgame interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe, he let an expletive slip while saying Ole Miss's "Hotty Toddy" cheer, a small moment that only added another layer to an already aggravating night for LSU supporters. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Now Has Two Injury Worries Fans Can't Ignore
LSUs 32-24 loss to Ole Miss was already a frustrating night, and the injury list only added to the concern. Safety Dashawn Spears went down early in the second quarter and was later seen on crutches, while tight end TreyDez Green left in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury after being unable to put weight on his leg.
The Tigers did get a small bit of good news from linebacker TJ Dottery, who was questionable before kickoff but still played and made an impact with five tackles and a pass breakup. Even so, losing two key starters in the same game leaves LSU waiting on answers it could hardly afford to need right now. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffins Family Is Forcing Ole Miss Fans To Confront Something Ugly
The buildup to LSU and Ole Miss has brought the usual noise, but some of it has gone well past football. Lane Kiffins family, including his daughter Landry, has been targeted with inappropriate jokes on social media, a reminder of how quickly rivalry banter can turn ugly when the game is this big. Ahead of a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on ABC, the conversation around this matchup has been complicated by a very different kind of attention.
Layla Kiffin, Lanes ex-wife, posted a message urging kindness, and Landry publicly addressed the offensive comments herself. It is the kind of episode that forces a fan base to confront where the line is, especially when the spotlight on a high-profile coach bleeds into his familys life. The football part of the night still matters, but so does the reminder that not everything attached to a rivalry belongs in the stands or online. [Read more 🡒]