Garrett Nussmeier and the LSU Tigers are about to face South Carolina without one of their most important weapons, and the news came directly from the player himself in the most modern way possible. Aaron Anderson, LSU’s leading receiver and Nussmeier’s security blanket on third down, posted to his Instagram story Saturday, announcing he wouldn’t be playing: “Thank everyone who told me good luck today but chosen1 will not be playing today.”

The junior wide receiver had been listed as doubtful on Friday’s injury report after dealing with a litany of injuries that have kept him sidelined and in pain since the Ole Miss game two weeks ago. For a Tigers offense that’s already struggled to find any rhythm this season, losing Anderson is the kind of blow that could derail what was supposed to be a get-right game against the Gamecocks under the lights at Tiger Stadium.​

Anderson’s injury situation has been a mess of compounding problems rather than one clean issue. He exited the Ole Miss loss in Week 5 and never returned. Brian Kelly described Anderson’s injuries as “a litany of things,” which included hip, toe, knee, and some elbow strain injuries. Although Kelly tried to sound optimistic earlier in the week when he said, “modern medicine will get him ready for the South Carolina game,” but it turns out modern medicine is not a substitute for magic. By Thursday, Kelly’s tone shifted to “day-to-day,” and then Friday’s injury report finally listed him as doubtful, a downgrade from probable.

A lot of sources indicated that Aaron Anderson’s status was “50-50 at best,” and pain management would be a deciding factor. But apparently, like we found out from his story, it wasn’t well enough for him to suit up. Moreover, he’s dealing with injuries in his hip, toe, knee, and elbow, so it seems like this is something that a week’s rest won’t fix. The numbers tell the story of just how much LSU will miss Anderson on the field. Through five games, the junior leads the Tigers with 305 receiving yards and 23 receptions while averaging 13.3 yards per catch, making him Nussmeier’s most reliable option in the passing game. He’s been particularly crucial on third downs, where LSU has struggled all season to convert and keep drives alive.

Kelly indicated earlier this week that LSU might tighten its receiver rotation, which now looks less like a strategic choice and more like a necessity with Anderson out. Kyle Parker is expected to slide into Anderson’s slot receiver role and handle most of the underneath routes that have been Anderson’s bread and butter. The question is whether Parker or any of the other receivers can replicate the trust that Nussmeier has in Anderson, especially in critical third-down situations where the quarterback needs to know his guy will be in the right spot. LSU has already dropped one SEC game to Ole Miss and can’t afford to lose another at home if they want to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation. South Carolina comes in at 3-2 after a bye week of their own, and while they’re 9.5-point underdogs, they’ve shown they can play defense and make life miserable for struggling offenses.​

Nussmeier is playing through pain

If losing Aaron Anderson wasn’t bad enough for LSU’s offense, it turns out Garrett Nussmeier hasn’t exactly been operating at full capacity either. The quarterback has been managing an abdominal strain that’s plagued him since before the season opener against Clemson, and it showed in the Ole Miss loss when he looked completely off his game with just 197 yards, one touchdown, and an interception.

After that 24-19 defeat, Brian Kelly said, “He didn’t look like himself out there,” and now we know why. The timing of Anderson’s absence makes Nussmeier’s injury situation even more problematic. The Tigers are heading into Saturday’s South Carolina showdown with their best receiver on the sideline and their quarterback still not 100 percent from an injury that’s been “slow to heal,” as Kelly put it. It’s the double-whammy that can derail an offense that was already struggling to find rhythm through the first five games.

“Yeah, early on, he had an AB strain, not a core injury, in terms of a core injury that we deal with,” Kelly explained on October 7, trying to sound reassuring while also acknowledging the injury has limited Nussmeier’s ability to launch deep balls and move in the pocket. The bye week gave LSU a chance to dial back Nussmeier’s workload, and Kelly leaned heavily on that: “He’s feeling better and better. We didn’t do a lot with him last week. We wanted to use that as a recovery week for him.” The most telling sign that LSU thinks he’s ready? Nussmeier’s name didn’t appear on Thursday’s injury report at all.​