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LSU coach Ed Orgeron clarifies Jay Ward's status

By Billy Jones • 9/7/2021 in Football

Jay Ward photo courtesy of LSU.

LSU Junior safety Jay Ward went out with an injury on Saturday against UCLA, one many feared was serious. But LSU coach Ed Orgeron went on local radio to address the rumors and perhaps put Tiger fans at ease.

Orgeron cleared things up on local Baton Rouge radio show Off the Bench on Monday, saying that things with Ward will be day-to-day with Ward as he looks to get back to full strength. Orgeron didn't disclose the injury. 

The junior had two tackles on Saturday. Oregeron was insistent after the game on Saturday that the next two games (McNeese St., Central Michigan) will be pivotal for his defense in order to find some semblance of rhythm.

LSU struggled to find such rhythm a year ago. After a historically terrible season from its secondary, LSU moved Ward to safety in hopes that he could play well behind Eli Ricks and Derick Stingley Jr. While the majority of LSU’s issues on Saturdays came with the run and the RPO game (which primarily are the responsibilities of the front six or seven), the secondary certainly is not the dominant unit that many thought it could be. Extended absence from Ward would have made that worse. 

Orgeron talked all offseason about how many changes LSU made to both scheme and technique. But Saturday played out a lot like many of the games last year with crossing routes and miscommunications plaguing the Tigers defense, and Ward's ability to play is certainly a priority for LSU. 

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