Lane Kiffin attributes LSU’s injury crisis to grind of SEC’s 9-game schedule
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Lane Kiffin got a huge bounce-back victory on Saturday night against Texas A&M, as LSU tries to leave the stinging loss the week before against Ole Miss behind it and surge forward in 2026.
The Tigers improved to 3-1 overall and evened their SEC mark at 1-1, and they’ll be in line for another victory in Week 5 as LSU steps out of conference to host McNeese from the tiny Southland Conference. Kiffin’s team has already been through a lot, with the emotion of his return to Oxford as well as a couple SEC matchups, so it’ll be glad to take that little break from the SEC grind this Saturday night (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Tiger Stadium.
LSU has survived this blitz and is ranked 11th in the new AP Poll, but the early scars of this season have taken their roll on the Tigers. There are injuries galore on Kiffin’s roster, with the latest ailment being star linebacker Whit Weeks, who exited Saturday night’s game against the Aggies and was seen wearing a boot on his right leg as he walked off the field.
According to a report on Sunday by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Weeks suffered a fracture in that leg and will need surgery. Zenitz reported that the hope is Weeks could be back in the lineup in the next 4-6 weeks, but more will be known after the outcome of Monday’s surgery.
Then there is tight end Trey’Dez Green, who was injured during that Week 3 loss at Ole Miss. According to Zenitz, LSU’s “current hope” is that it’ll get Green back in time for the Week 10 clash against Alabama.
Those injuries bring us back to Lane Kiffin, who, according to ESPN’s Marty Smith, blamed the SEC’s new 9-game schedule on all of his team’s early season ailments.
Kiffin said LSU’s amount of injuries speak to the impact of the 9-game conference schedule “versus other conferences, and how (they) don’t have to play players or play them as long. … Be careful what you wish for, SEC.”
LSU is 3-1 on the still young season, and the Tigers will have many SEC challenges ahead of them this fall to try to get to double-digit wins. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about LSU’s potential victory total for the 2026 season:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
