LSU football coach Les Miles, who has dealt with quarterback battles in his three-year tenure with the Tigers, may have one in the making at the running back position. Senior Jacob Hester, the Tigers’ starter, plowed through the South Carolina defense for a team-high 88 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. But it was kicker Colt David who showed a surprising burst of speed in the open field, averaging 15 yards per carry and scoring every time he rushed the ball. Albeit one carry on a fake field goal run in which South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Miles “got him” and later deemed it “the perfect play,” the junior kicker said it would be nice if he could get more carries. “We had been preparing all week for that,” a smiling David said. “Hopefully we have more of those.” The fake, named “Roxy,” was a no-look, over-the-head toss from holder Matt Flynn to a sprinting David. The trick play extended LSU’s lead to 21-7 before halftime and was the No. 1 play on SportsCenter’s top 10 plays list. David’s rush was just a small part of a Tigers ground game that gained nearly 300 yards on a South Carolina defense that was giving up 192 yards on the ground per game. The Gamecocks left the game ranked 104 in rushing defense after the Tigers’ impressive ground performance. “We were just trying to pound them early and we did,” Hester said. “Then we went to Trindon [Holliday], and that really opened it up.” The Tigers opened the game with two punts on their first two possessions and found themselves down 7-0 before Holliday took consecutive carries and capped the third drive off with a 33-yard touchdown. Holliday finished with 73 yards on just six carries and was one of eight ball carriers for the Tigers. “I like the direction of our offense because I think it keeps a lot of people involved,” Miles said. “I enjoy the fact that we’re calling a lot of guys’ numbers because it’s a team.” The constant rain throughout the game helped Miles and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton in the decision to call a season-high 50 running plays. “It was rainy and not necessarily a great track to operate on,” Miles said. “I thought the team that had the most rushing yards would win the game.” That prophecy turned true after the Tigers out-rushed the Gamecocks 290-17. Sophomore Ryan Perrilloux gained 59 yards on eight called quarterback runs, while sophomores Charles Scott and Keiland Williams and freshman Richard Murphy combined to gain 55 yards on 11 carries. “If we had four guys with the same style, it really wouldn’t matter,” Hester said of the plethora of running backs. “We got three or four guys in there whose running styles are different, and it really helps us stay fresh.”
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