Leonard Fournette didn’t disappoint in his return from injury.
“Buga” was a human highlight reel in the first half of No. 25 LSU’s matchup against No. 23 Ole Miss, but a turnover at the end of the first half cost LSU the lead as the Tigers and Rebels are knotted up, 21-21, at halftime.
Junior quarterback Danny Etling, who threw for 120 yards and a touchdown, suffered a hand injury on a strip-sack with a minute remaining in the half. He was seen being tended to by trainers but returned to take a knee ending the half.
The LSU offense managed just 11 yards on its first two drives while failing to convert a third down. Meanwhile, Ole Miss surpassed the 100-yard mark within the first nine minutes, translating to a quick 10 points and two-score lead.
A pair of busted coverages on Ole Miss’ first drive resulted in a Van Jefferson 15-yard touchdown after a 51-yard pitch and catch to Damore’ea Stringfellow, and the Rebels tacked on a 46-yard field goal on their second drive.
Ole Miss senior quarterback Chad Kelly has 152 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception through two quarters.
On LSU’s ensuing possession, though, No. 7 put the team on his back.
His second carry of the game was a toss off right tackle, which he used to show his four-week hiatus yielded positive results in his injury recovery.
The junior sprung free through a hole in the Rebel defense and beat everyone to the end zone for a 59-yard touchdown, his longest rush of the season to that point.
Fournette eclipsed 100 yards rushing in each of his first two games against Ole Miss, but this time he only needed the first half to do so. He took six carries for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
The Tigers and Rebels traded turnovers on back-to-back plays in the second quarter. After a D.J. Chark fumble on an end-around attempt, sophomore cornerback Donte Jackson made his second interception of the season on an under-thrown ball by Kelly.
LSU took over at the three-yard line after Jackson’s interception, and the Tigers proceeded to orchestrate a seven-play, 97-yard scoring drive.
Fournette and sophomore running back Derrius Guice’s rushing attack set up the drive, and a 40-yard play-action pass to Chark capped it off.
A goal-line stand by the Tigers forced Ole Miss into another field goal.
Fournette then supplanted the longest rush of the season set in the first quarter with a 76-yard run for six in the second.
Ole Miss junior defensive end Marquis Haynes put the Rebels back in it with a forced fumble on Etling, setting senior running back Akeem Judd up for a two-yard touchdown. The Rebels converted the two-point conversion to tie it up.