PASADENA, Calif. — Two anticipated LSU starters — junior running back John Emery Jr. and senior linebacker Jared Smalls — were unavailable for the Tigers season opener with UCLA on Saturday night.
Emery and Smalls appeared at the top of their respective positions on a depth chart released before the game – the first LSU put out this season – but both players wore street clothes during the warmup.
Emery, along with senior wide receiver Jontre Kirklin and senior defensive end Sony Fonua, did not play due to academic issues, a source confirmed. Coach Ed Orgeron later described Emery's condition as "week-on-week".
Short, a former walk-on listed as a starter on the depth chart, walked sideways with crutches. Fox play-by-play announcer Joe Davis said Smalls suffered a season-ending knee injury this week.
Emery lost time this season, but when asked about his running earlier this week, Orgron said junior Tyrion Davis-Price and Emery would split the carry against UCLA. Davis-Price began Saturday night. He finished with 13 carries for 31 yards as LSU's offensive line struggled to open the hole.
The freshman running after Armoni Goodwin was also unavailable due to an undisclosed injury.
Senior defensive tackle Glenn Logan, who broke his right leg during preseason practice, traveled but did not dress out. He was wearing a walking boot.
Starters revealed
A number of decisions were revealed in LSU's first in-depth chart, released before the game, including starting at several positions.
Juniors Trey Palmer and Jare Jenkins began after emerging from the crowd race for second and third place behind No. 1 wideout Keeshon bout. Palmer took seven catches for 47 yards. Jenkins took three wickets for 46 runs.
Sophomore Major Burns, a Baton Rouge native who relocated from Georgia during the off-season, began at safety with Junior Jay Ward. But Ward gave up the game at one point. LSU used senior Todd Harris and sophomore Jordan Toole in their place.
Also, sophomore Anthony Bradford started on right guard in place of Chesson Hines, who had most of the preseason practice with an injury. However, Hines entered the game late in the first quarter.
Then in the puncture, senior Avery Atkins earned work on new player Peyton Todd. Atkins punts six times for an average of 40 yards.
Injury report
Senior right tackle Austin DeCulaus went down with an apparent leg injury on a running play early in the second quarter.
Deculas was helped off the field by coaches and was replaced by Charles Turner. Deculus returned to the shore after a series.
Cameron Wire injured his knee in the third quarter while starting a left tackle and was replaced by true new Garrett Dellinger for a series before Turner took over the next tackle.
Touchdown-maker
Bouté, who scored the final touchdown of the 2020 season for LSU, picked up where he secured his first of 2021 on Saturday night.
Bouté pulled a 3-yard scoring pass from Max Johnson in the second quarter with 12:34. He caught two more touchdowns in the remainder of the game, ending with nine receptions for 148 yards.
The pair connected for a 45-yard catch-and-run that went down as a game-winning score in a wild 53-48 win over Ole Miss at Tiger Stadium last December 19.
Wasted opportunity
LSU went blank on their second scoring opportunity of the evening when Orgeron abandoned a 57-yard field-goal effort by Cade York and chose to punt and pin UCLA deep into his field.
York, whose school-record 57-yarder beat Florida at The Swamp last season, scored a 52-yard field goal—the second division after LSU was called for a false start.
Tactics paid off in the form of LSU getting the ball back after an Eli Ricks interception and turning it into a 26-yard field goal by York.
lsu radio replacement
One former LSU football great subbed for another on a Saturday night radio broadcast.
Former LSU fullback Jacob Hester handled color commentary for the UCLA game in place of former Tigers receiver/kicker Doug Morrow.
This was Hester's first time to call the game on the LSU Sports Radio Network, working with play-by-play announcer Chris Blair.
Moro recently had shoulder replacement surgery and was advised not to fly. It is expected to be back on air when LSU hosts McNeese State (7 p.m., SECNetwork+) on Saturday.
All time record
LSU entered its 128th season of Saturday Night Football with an all-time record of 817–420–47.
LSU's .655 winning percentage ranks 14th in FBS history, just behind Georgia (.656) and ahead of Appalachian State (.649).
The Tigers' 817 victories put them in 12th place of all time, behind Georgia (839) and ahead of Auburn (782).
UCLA ranks 35th in win percentage (.583) and does not rank in the top 50 for wins. Bruins in football in 1919