Every season since LSU’s undefeated run to the 2012 Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game, the comparisons between the Tigers’ 2011 team and the current squad fuels the Tiger faithful’s hope for perfection until a loss spoils it.
With LSU posting a 2-0 record in Southeastern Conference play in 2015 for the first time since 2011 and extending its NCAA-record regular season nonconference winning streak to 51 games with a 44-22 victory against Eastern Michigan University on Saturday, the connections between the 2015 Tigers and their 2011 counterparts abound.
Despite the return of a star-studded secondary in 2015 to go with a dynamic pass rush, one glaring difference remains between LSU’s 2011 and 2015 teams: the position its Heisman Trophy contender plays.
Without question, the strength of the 2011 team resided in its secondary with Heisman Trophy finalist and 2011 Bednarik Award Winner Tyrann Mathieu. But for the first time during LSU coach Les Miles’ tenure, the Tigers’ success rests on the shoulders of an offensive playmaker in the form of sophomore running back Leonard Fournette in 2015.
“The more comfortable [Fournette] gets, the more freakish and electric he gets as a player,” said senior offensive tackle Vadal Alexander after LSU’s win against the Eagles. “He’s very comfortable with the offense this year. He’s great at pass protection. He’s great running-wise, and he’s great at seeing holes obviously.”
Defensively, comparisons between the 2011 and 2015 teams hold early with the potential the No. 7 Tigers (4-0, 2-0 SEC) displayed through their first four games, particularly in LSU’s conference wins against Mississippi State University on Sept. 12 and Auburn University on Sept. 19.
Despite losing its most experienced defender in senior safety Jalen Mills to an injury during fall camp, LSU’s secondary rallied behind the energy of Mills’ replacement, junior safety Rickey Jefferson, and sophomore safety Jamal Adams, a 2014 Freshman All-American by the recruiting service 247Sports.com.
Jefferson and Adams have combined for 42 tackles, including three tackles for a loss and four pass breakups through LSU’s first four games. Adams is tied for the team lead with two interceptions.
The safety duo’s physicality against the run resembles the Tigers’ 2011 safety combination of Eric Reid and Brandon Taylor, both of whom tallied more than 70 tackles to rank among the top three on the team.
Along with Jefferson and Adams mirroring Reid and Taylor, junior cornerback Tre’Davious White and freshman cornerback Kevin Toliver II’s shutdown coverage out wide fuels the Tigers’ third-ranked SEC passing defense in similar ways former LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Mathieu’s elite coverage did in 2011.
At 5-foot-11, White’s frame may not resemble Mathieu’s compact 5-foot-9-inch build, but his knack for making crucial plays on defense and special teams continues the tradition set by Mathieu and four-time NFL Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson.
During his LSU career, White has recorded just one fewer pass break up than Mathieu with 15 and equaled his interception mark with four through two seasons.
Like Mathieu, White has established himself as a dangerous return man, recording two punt returns for touchdowns. The Shreveport, Louisiana, native sparked the Tigers with a 69-yard return for touchdown during the third quarter of the Tigers’ 34-24 win against Syracuse University on Sept. 26.
While White’s identity as a playmaker compares to Mathieu, Toliver’s quiet approach to the game and lanky frame reflects Claiborne’s lock down style of play.
In his first four games as a Tiger, Toliver showcased his talents as a shutdown corner, tallying 13 tackles and one interception.
Since making his first career start in LSU’s delayed season opener against Mississippi State, Toliver has impressed his teammates with his composure and veteran approach to the game. White routinely refers to Toliver as a “vet.”
Although Jefferson said the current members of LSU’s secondary watch film of the 2011 defense during their spare time for inspiration, they aim to make a name for themselves with a identity different than their predecessors.
“We try to focus on what we can do to get better as a secondary in the back end,” Adams said. “The 2011 group was a great group. And we plan to be great as well, but we’re not there yet. We have a lot of work to do, so we’re going to keep our head down and keep working.”
Along with the presence of a talented and experienced secondary, the Tigers’ 2015 defense parallels another forte of the 2011 squad with its arsenal of weapons wreaking havoc in the backfield.
In 2011, former Tiger defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery combined for 17 sacks, leading a potent pass rush whose 39 total sacks in 2011 fell just five sacks short of the Tigers’ single-season record set in 2003.
LSU’s first-year defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s aggressive play-calling combined with more experience along the defensive line have created a formidable pass rush on this year’s team.
Despite tallying just 19 sacks in 2014, the Tigers have tallied 11 sacks in 2015 with sophomore defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and junior defensive end Lewis Neal tied for the team lead with three a piece.
“They’ve really been getting after it,” said senior linebacker Deion Jones. “Big kudos to [LSU defensive line] Coach [Ed] Orgeron, he’s got those guys going a hundred miles an hour every day. Like constant drill after drill after drill after drill of just getting after it. And it’s been paying off for them.”
Dominant defense defined the 2011 team and every other Miles-led LSU squad, but 2015 is an entirely different case study with the Tigers’ offense spearheaded by one of the premier running backs in the nation.
Fournette leads the nation in rushing yards with 864, rushing touchdowns with 11 and rushing yards per game with 216. The New Orleans-native became the first running back in SEC history to record three-consecutive 200-yard games, besting Heisman Trophy winners Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson’s best streak of two-consecutive games with more than 200 rushing yards.
Although LSU finished 2011 ranked 22nd in the NCAA in rushing offense with Michael Ford and Spencer Ware, Fournette’s ability to take over games against conference opponents has characterized the 2015 season, eliminating the need for a passing game.
“We just haven’t been able to show our talent yet, which I’m not mad at because I’m not selfish,” said sophomore wide receiver Malachi Dupre. “At the end of the day, when you have someone as good as Leonard, it’s not like we don’t need [passing game] right now, but we don’t need it right now because of how good he is and with the plays he’s been making.”
The Tigers have no shortage of talent out wide with Dupre and junior wide receiver Travin Dural, but LSU ranks 123rd in the NCAA in passing offense with 95.5 yards per game, trailing even the 2011 offense’s 152.5 yards through the air per game.
Sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris has completed only 54.1 percent of his passes this season, but Harris’ ability to avoid turnovers parallels the Tigers’ 2011 quarterbacks Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson, who combined for just six turnovers.
While the 2011 and 2015 LSU defenses share key characteristics, Fournette’s explosiveness vaults the 2015 offense over the 2011 squad in terms of sheer firepower.
LSU sophomore running back Leonard Fournette (7) makes his way out of the tunnel onto the field to play against Auburn on Saturday Sept. 19, 2015, in Tiger Stadium.
