By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
It’s not like LSU is getting a soft opening after an exhaustive open week off the field when the Tigers return to action on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
LSU (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) plays at the No. 4 Crimson Tide (7-1, 5-0 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. on ABC with a new head coach in interim Frank Wilson, who replaced fired coach Brian Kelly on Sunday a week ago. Run game coordinator Alex Atkins will step up to play caller as Wilson has not named a new offensive coordinator to replace Joe Sloan, who was fired by LSU and Wilson a week ago Monday.
“We’ve been invaded.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) November 3, 2025
-Frank Wilson in comparing last week at LSU to Pearl Harbor. And he said that only on Tuesday. https://t.co/Io6qe319vw
New interim athletic director Verge Ausberry will also be at the game after replacing fired athletic director Scott Woodward on Thursday night to cap a bloody week of firings.
“The Board’s leadership has handled this whole episode poorly. They let the Governor dictate their actions.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) November 2, 2025
LSU power broker and donor Richard Lipsey to Tiger Rag Saturday. https://t.co/x0q6YFVIgb
“We know what we’re up against,” Wilson said Monday at the weekly game-week press conference. “We’ll have an opportunity to play our best football. That is the attitude in the building. It resonates from the coaches to the players. Everyone’s really excited about the opportunity to play again.”
Wilson is 3-7 as an LSU assistant coach against Alabama – 2-5 from 2010-15 under coach Les Miles when he was recruiting coordinator and running backs coach with wins in 2010 and ’11 and losses in the 2011-12 national championship game and the 2012-15 regular seasons and 1-2 from 2022-24 under Kelly as running backs coach and associate head coach when the Tiger won in 2022 before losses the last two seasons.
Alabama is also coming off an open date after winning its seventh straight on Oct. 25, 29-22 at South Carolina, following a 31-17 loss at unranked Florida State in the season opener. LSU lost its last game on that day, 49-25, at home to No. 3 Texas A&M following a 7-35 third quarter.
“As we turn to Alabama and you look at them as a team, Ty Simpson (quarterback) is as good as they come,” Wilson said. “Quality receivers, they run the ball efficiently. It’s a typical Alabama defense. It starts up front. They’re stout. Skilled in the back end. But I like us. I really do. I like our team. I think we’re a talented team. I think we have the potential to be a good team. And I think Saturday night will give us an opportunity to put all those things together to play what is still our best football, which is ahead of us.”
Alabama is a 10.5-point favorite and has defeated LSU two straight since Kelly beat Alabama and coach Nick Saban, 32-31, in overtime at Tiger Stadium in 2022.
INJURY REPORT
Starting linebacker Whit Weeks (ankle) is questionable for Saturday’s game as is starting offensive tackle Carius Curne (leg).
“We’ll get him out there Tuesday to see what he can do and kind of measure it,” Wilson said of Weeks, who has missed LSU’s last two games – both losses at Vanderbilt and A&M at home. “And we’ll build it as the week goes on based on his pain tolerance.”
Curne went through the scouting report and walk-through for Alabama on Monday.
“We’re hopeful,” Wilson said.
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