Sophomores Anthony Jennings and Travin Dural picked up right where they left off as the No. 10 LSU football team dominated Sam Houston State in a 56-0 shutout Saturday.
Jennings went 7-for-13 for 188 yards and three touchdowns. All three of his scoring strikes went to Dural, who tallied 140 yards on three catches. The duo’s first connection of the game went for 94 yards down the right sideline, the longest passing play in school history. 
Dural’s big night came after he caught three of Jennings’ nine completions against Wisconsin on Aug. 30. Dural has caught six of Jennings’ 16 completions and four of Jennings’ five touchdowns this season. For his career, the second-year wideout has 13 receptions for 436 yards and six touchdowns.
“We always talked about doing great things out there on Saturdays,” Jennings said. “Just putting in the hard work during the offseason [and] during fall camp. It’s just not happening ‘just because.’ We put in the hard work, and he’s making great            plays.”
While the Tigers’ (2-0) offense torched Sam Houston State (1-2), the defense forced three turnovers. LSU compiled 584 total yards (334 rushing, 250 passing) on 76 plays. 
Four rushers finished with 50 yards or more for LSU, but the connection between Jennings and Dural proved once again to be essential.
Dural’s contribution is crucial for the Tigers, who lost 1,000-yard receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry to the NFL.
After learning from Beckham and Landry as a freshman in 2013, Dural said he has become a better leader and a more reliable target for                                                      Jennings.
“Everyone is looking at me [and] asking me questions, opposed to when I was looking at Jarvis and those guys,” Dural said. “I took everything they did and tried to model myself after those guys, and it helped me be the receiver and person I                                                                                  am today.”
LSU coach Les Miles praised the Tigers’ passing game but mentioned that the aerial attack still needs to improve in some areas. Miles said Jennings is “defining himself and appears to be someone with confidence and calmness,” and Dural has quickly become the quarterback’s favorite target.
“One thing I took from [Beckham and Landry] was to catch every ball, because you never know when it’s going to be your last ball,” Dural said. “You got to make the plays every time you get the ball. When the ball is thrown your way, make a play on the ball [and] take advantage of the opportunity.”