After going three and out on its first two possessions, the No. 8 LSU football team turned to its running game to power its way through University of Louisiana-Monroe leading the way to a 31-0 victory Saturday.
At the end of the first quarter, the Tigers (3-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) rushed the ball for 35 yards on 14 carries for an average of 2.5 yards per carry.
But LSU’s running attack dominated the game from the second quarter on, rushing 38 times for 184 yards with four total touchdowns from senior Kenny Hilliard and freshmen Darrel Williams and Leonard Fournette.
LSU coach Les Miles said the Warhawks (2-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) ran many “unorthodox” defensive fronts to confuse his team, leading to the early game struggles. But sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings said the Tigers just stuck to the game plan.
“We continued doing what we do best, and that is running the ball,” Jennings said. “That obviously wore them out in the second [half].”
Fournette was the game’s leading rusher, carrying 10 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. Hilliard contributed 50 yards and a score of his own while fellow senior Terrence Magee added 43 yards.
But freshman Darrel Williams stole the show, scoring two touchdowns on seven carries.
“[Williams] has really stepped up,” said sophomore wide receiver Travin Dural. “He works hard every day in practice, and it is showing on the field. He is building his confidence every game.”
Hilliard said, the running back by committee approach has been a key to wearing down opposing defenses.
“It is tradition to keep fresh legs on the field and a rotation of backs going in there,” Hilliard said. “It is something we will continue so everyone can stay fresh … It’s a great advantage to have a lot of backs to get in there and try to pound teams.”
Williams and Hilliard scored their touchdowns on dive plays as fullbacks, and Jennings said having running backs line up at fullback can only make the Tigers more dynamic on offense.
Jennings said, Williams and Hilliard are not the only two who have practiced at the fullback position.
“Everybody in the backfield is interchangeable,” Jennings said. “Any of those guys can play fullback. Any of those guys can play running back.”
LSU sophomore cornerback Tre’Davious White said any defense tasked with defending the Tigers’ running backs is going to have a hard time with two of them on the field at once.
“Any time you have that much talent in the backfield, it’s tough for any defense,” White said. “It could be the top defense in the nation. When you’re that versatile in the backfield it makes it tough for anybody [to defend].”
The LSU offensive line that paved the way for the running backs got senior center Elliott Porter back as the starting center.
Porter showed signs of rust when he and Jennings got their legs tangled up, resulting in a two-yard loss. But Hilliard said it was great to have Porter back on the field.
“We missed him,” Hilliard said. “It feels like we really didn’t miss a beat. He came out there and did what we needed him to do to get us a win.”
Sophomore Ethan Pocic started the first two games while Porter sat out, but Pocic did not play against ULM.
Miles said Pocic could have played, but the coaching staff did not feel it was necessary to push him back onto the field after an injury last week.
Next week, the Tigers get their first taste of SEC play when Mississippi State comes to Baton Rouge. With the offensive line back at full strength and the running game hitting its stride, Jennings said the offense will be ready to take on the Bulldogs.
“[We’re going to] give those guys the respect that they deserve,” Jennings said. “But we’re going to be confident going into this game.”