Aaron Anderson injury update: LSU receiver injures arm, heads to medical tent on sideline

LSU star receiver Aaron Anderson was injured early in the second quarter of a game against Alabama, his former school. He appeared to hurt his arm after making a catch.

Anderson held his left arm close to his side and did not move it as he came off the field. He immediately headed into LSU’s medical tent after reaching the sideline.

“There’s the look at the injury to Aaron Anderson,” broadcaster Sean McDonough said on the air. “He puts his left arm down and injured his elbow. He has gone off in obvious pain and has gone to the tent.”

At the time of his injury, Anderson had recorded two catches for 16 yards in the game. He had been targeted twice. The game was tied 3-3 with 9:38 left in the first half at the time of this writing.

But suffice it to say, if Aaron Anderson can’t return it will be a big blow for the LSU offense. He entered the game leading the team in receiving, with 382 yards on 29 catches. Interestingly enough, he had not yet recorded a receiving touchdown on the season.

UPDATE, 8:45 p.m. ET: ABC sideline reporter Molly McGrath provided an update on Aaron Anderson. It’s good news for LSU.

“Sean, I’m told LSU wide receiver Aaron Anderson hyper-extended his left elbow,” McGrath said. “Athletic training staff put a brace on the left arm. Anderson did some pushups, put weight on the arm with no issue and told teammates he’s fine and will return.”

LSU entered Alabama game confident

While the Aaron Anderson injury certainly won’t help matters, LSU felt pretty good heading into its contest against Alabama on Saturday night.

Ahead of the rivalry game LSU linebacker West Weeks had a message. He implored his teammates to go out fighting – especially since they had a chance to “ruin” Alabama’s season on Saturday.

ESPN’s Molly McGrath said Weeks told the broadcast crew LSU has a new energy under interim head coach Frank Wilson, stemming from more physical practices. With that, the Tigers know they don’t have anything to lose the rest of the way. As a result, they have an opportunity to play spoiler.

“In their first team meeting after Brian Kelly’s firing, LSU players told each other, ‘This season can now go one of two ways. We can give up and be forgotten, or we can be the team that comes back from all of this adversity and shocks everyone,’” McGrath reported during halftime of Texas A&M at Missouri.

“Veteran linebacker West Weeks is determined to make this rivalry game a statement game, telling us, ‘We have nothing to lose and Alabama has everything to lose. … Let’s go ruin their season.’ Weeks said this locker room is tighter than ever and said they’re re-energized by all the physicality that they have been practicing with this week.”

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.