An Auburn defense that struggled over the weekend against FCS Jacksonville State should have some reinforcements ready for Saturday’s game at LSU.
According to AuburnSports.com, Tigers defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said he expects defensive end Carl Lawson and safety Tray Matthews, both redshirt sophomore starters, to play against LSU.
Lawson, one of Auburn’s top pass-rushers, injured his hip in the first quarter of the season opener against Louisville while Matthews hurt his shoulder in the second half of the same game. Another starter, senior linebacker, Justin Garrett, strained his quad against JSU. Muschamp expects him to play, too.
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“Tray and Carl, I’m expecting both of them this week to be honest with you, and get Justin back, that’ll certainly help you,” Muschamp said Sunday. “Anytime you have guys that can make a difference in the game it can certainly help you but we’ve got to continue to bring these guys along.”
While those three appear set to return, the outlook is not as promising for senior cornerback Joshua Holsey, who injured his knee in the first quarter against JSU. Muschamp said Holsey’s prognosis “doesn’t look good.”
“I think they’re still going through those results as far as his MRI and those things are concerned,” Muschamp said. “(Head) coach (Gus Malzahn) will certainly have more information.”
Despite giving up 438 yards of offense to Jacksonville State, the Tigers managed to pull out a 27-20 win in overtime.
Defensive struggles are no stranger to Auburn in recent years, and Muschamp was brought in to things up on that side of the ball. The defense played well for much of the Louisville game (a 31-24 win), but fans certainly have reasons to be concerned heading into SEC play.
The return of Lawson, Matthews and Garrett to the starting lineup should certainly help.
For more Auburn news, visit AuburnSports.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!