Beckwith out for Auburn showdown

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Sep 15, 2008 - UPDATED: 6:07 a.m.

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When LSU travels to Auburn for the first milepost game of the 2008 season this weekend, the Tigers will go to battle with a big hole in the middle of their defense.

Junior middle linebacker Darry Beckwith hobbled out of Saturday’s 41-3 triumph over North Texas with an injured left knee and LSU coach Les Miles said Sunday that Beckwith is likely out for the Tigers’ clash with Auburn on Saturday (6:45 p.m./ESPN).

“There is an injury of significance to Darry Beckwith, and it’s safe to say he won’t be available this week,” Miles said. “I think he’ll be back pretty soon, but I don’t know when.”

Miles said Beckwith had an MRI done Sunday and doctors “saw something.”

Whatever was seen apparently wasn’t serious enough to qualify as season-ending, as Miles said Beckwith could potentially return as early as the week of the Tigers showdown with Florida in Gainesville on Oct. 11.

“It’s a short-term consequence in my mind,” Mile said. “We’ll get him back.”

To fill the void left by Beckwith, junior Jacob Cutrera will step into the middle and will also man Beckwith’s spot when the Tigers shift to nickel and dime packages with extra defensive backs.

Cutrera has recorded two tackles in each of LSU’s first two games and has filled in for Beckwith in the past, recording 37 stops in 2006 and 21 last year with an interception.

Kelvin Sheppard, the starter at “Will” linebacker, will also see time in Beckwith’s slot, with Perry Riley operating at the “Buck” spot.

Riley stays in the game when LSU plays with only two backers. The Tigers may get a boost if safety Danny McCray returns from an ankle injury that kept him out of the North Texas game.

But there was no sugarcoating the loss of Beckwith, one of LSU’s best defenders and a team leader.

“Certainly, his experience is something that you just can’t measure,” Miles said. “His leadership has always been good. Certainly, he’s a guy that this team enjoys being the center of the defense, but in the same vein, the guys need to step in there and be responsible for playing the same way. We are fortunate to have talent there.”