No. 11 LSU and No. 8 UCF will get together New Year's Day in the Fiesta Bowl, but the Tigers defense won't look like it has for the majority of the season. Cornerback Kelvin Joseph did not make the trip due to violation of team rules, and sophomore Kary Vincent Jr. will start in his place -- just a few days after his father passed away.

"Our thoughts and our prayers go out to Kary Vincent Sr.," coach Ed Orgeron said via 247Sports. "Kary Vincent obviously is hurting right now. He made the trip. Thoughts go out to his mother and his whole family. We're very proud of Kary and very proud of his family. We're looking forward to this matchup against Central Florida."

Joseph's absence adds to a long list of Tigers defenders who will miss part or all of the game. The secondary is the hardest hit of the units. Star cornerback Greedy Williams chose to sit out the game in order to prepare for the NFL Draft, and fellow cornerback Kristian Fulton is out due to an injury. In addition to Williams and Fulton, safety John Battle will play but has been "disciplined" following the postgame skirmish with Texas A&M.

The secondary isn't the only part of the defense that will be short-handed, though.

Nose guard Ed Alexander is joining Williams on the sideline as he prepares for the draft, sophomore edge threat K'Lavon Chaisson has been out all year after tearing his ACL in the opener, defensive end Breiden Fehoko injured his arm in late November and linebacker Jacob Phillips will sit out the first half after being flagged for targeting in the regular season finale vs. Texas A&M.

How much will the absences matter against the Knights offense? Quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a gruesome knee injury against South Florida, and Darriel Mack will start in his place vs. the Tigers. Mack threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 59 yards and four touchdowns in the AAC Championship Game win over Memphis.