LSU’s 24–23 season-opening loss to Florida State on Sunday was a mistake-filled and frustrating one. A day later, the impact of the defeat grew deeper with the prolonged absence of a key player.
Defensive lineman Maason Smith reportedly suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the 2022 season, according to Julie Boudwin of Tiger Details. The injury is a significant loss, as the young star put together a stellar first season in 2021 and was named to the freshman All-American team. Smith was also a five-star recruit in the ’21 class.
The injury occurred in the first quarter of Sunday’s game as Smith was celebrating a teammate’s tackle.
In seven games last season, Smith totaled four sacks with five tackles for loss. He was ranked by 247Sports as the top high school player in Louisiana for his class.
LSU struggled to find consistency during Sunday’s opener, particularly on offense. The Tigers didn’t find the end zone until the final minute of the third quarter and fumbled twice on muffed punts. The defense had more success, yet had a difficult time getting off the field, allowing the Seminoles to convert 11 of 17 third-down attempts. Now, the group will have to go on without Smith making plays in the trenches.
LSU will play next on Saturday at home against Southern, followed by the conference opener against Mississippi State on Sept. 17.
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