COLLEGE STATION, Texas– Freshman running back Leonard Fournette provided a highlight-reel touchdown run in the final five minutes of the first half to ignite a furious LSU rally to give the Tigers a 17-7 halftime lead at Kyle Field.
Fournette took a handoff from sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings, cut left, lowered his shoulder and ran over Aggie safety Howard Matthews, going 21 yards to the end zone with 4:33 to go before half.
The heralded New Orleans freshman finished the half with 75 yards on 13 carries, trailing only Jennings, who used a plethora of designed keepers and sweeps to accumulate 94 yards on seven carries and lead the Tigers’ 223-yard rushing attack.
The Tiger defense, which held the Aggies to 85 total yards in the first half, held to a three-and-out on the drive following Fournette’s score, giving LSU one final chance before the half.
Jennings commandeered a nine-play drive, highlighted by his 36-yard scamper up the middle on a designed keeper to put the Tigers in the red zone. Four plays later, Jennings found freshman receiver John Diarse wide open in the corner of the end zone to put the Tigers up 14-7.
One-time LSU recruit and New Orleans native Speedy Noil fumbled the ensuing kickoff for Texas A&M, setting up a 31-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Trent Domingue to send the Tigers in the locker room comfortably up 17-7.
On the Tigers’ first possession, Jennings was picked off by De’Vante Harris, who had blanket coverage on sophomore receiver Travin Dural. Three plays later, Aggie junior Trey Williams scampered untouched into the end zone from 41 yards out, giving Texas A&M a quick 7-0 lead.
Jennings recovered, engineering a 12-play drive on the ensuing possession, mixing short passes with end-arounds to Dural, driving the Tigers all the way to the Texas A&M 8-yard-line. The key play was Jennings’ 26-yard rush up the sidelines on a designed keeper that put the Tigers in the red zone.
After a third down slant to freshman receiver Trey Quinn put the Tigers at the 5-yard-line, sophomore kicker Colby Delahoussaye missed a 22-yard field goal wide right.
The kick was Delahoussaye’s third consecutive miss after he started the season 20-for-21. All three misses have come from 30 or less yards out.
Domingue replaced Delahoussaye on the two extra points kicked after LSU’s two touchdowns in the second quarter.