NASHVILLE, Tenn.  — True freshman running back Alfred Blue was an afterthought to most Tiger fans before the season began.
After all, redshirt freshman running back Michael Ford ran for 139 yards in LSU’s spring game and was arguably the most highly regarded underclassman in the Tigers’ backfield.
But Blue was the first freshman running back on the field in LSU’s 27-3 victory Saturday at Vanderbilt.
Blue, Ford and freshman running back Spencer Ware received their first career carries in the win, and LSU coach Les Miles said none of them has an edge yet.
“With each carry and each experience in games, these guys start to come to life,” Miles said. “We’re looking forward to watching them develop.”
Blue finished with five rushes for 23 yards, recording the lone touchdown among the trio on a 6-yard dash in the fourth quarter.
Miles said Blue and the Tiger running backs frustrated the Commodores.
“I think it’s defeating when you can’t get first downs, and the opponent can rush the football at will,” Miles said. “We got the ball on a short field a couple times, and we pushed it in, which is what we should do.”
Ford saw action in the fourth quarter, rushing three times for 16 yards as the game drew to a close.
“I’m glad to see Michael Ford get in there and run the ball hard,” Miles said. “He’s another one that really needs to get some carries.”
Ware rushed once for eight yards and also lined up at fullback, catching a 24-yard swing pass in Vanderbilt’s red zone for his first career reception.
“He’s just under 230 pounds and pretty capable at fullback as well,” Miles said.
Sophomore wide receiver Rueben Randle is confident in all three talented young running backs. He said he expects a big play to ensue whenever they enter the game.
“We can replace anybody if one of the running backs goes down this year, and I think that’s something we kind of didn’t have last year after Keiland [Williams] went down,” Randle said.
Despite the coming-out party for the freshmen, junior running back Stevan Ridley seemed to solidify his spot as the main ball carrier.
Ridley rushed 17 times for a career-best 159 yards, including a career-long 65-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter.
He said he felt sick all week after turning the ball over twice against North Carolina, and he relished the opportunity to make up for it.
“Last week with two fumbles, it really hurt me,” Ridley said. “It was on my heart all week. I let the team down, and I had to come out here and make a statement.”
Miles said Ridley ran hard all game and wore down the Vanderbilt defense.
“Frankly, he needed to do what he did today,” Miles said. “We have good running backs, and he knows it.”
It was the first time an LSU running back ran for more than 150 yards in a Southeastern Conference game since Joseph Addai ran for 156 yards against Florida in 2005.
Sophomore wide receiver Russell Shepard rushed seven times for 48 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown run, capping LSU’s first scoring drive.
Senior running back Richard Murphy started the game, rushing four times for 13 yards. He appeared to injure his hamstring in the third quarter and didn’t return after walking gingerly off the field.
Seven Tigers combined to rush for a whopping 280 yards on 50 carries, while the Commodores managed only 65 yards rushing.
The last time the Tigers ran for 250 or more yards in an SEC game was at Kentucky in 2007, when they rushed for 261 yards.    
“The running backs were running hard, and we did what we needed to do to finish the game the right way,” Ridley said.
 
 
 
 
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Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected].