Jacksonville State expected to face a prolific back capable of breaking off large chunks of yardage on any given carry. But the Gamecocks may not have expected him to be wearing No. 5.
Junior running back Leonard Fournette was ruled out prior to LSU’s matchup with the Gamecocks (1-1) on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium with an ailing ankle, which he injured on a 15-yard carry during LSU’s last-ditch drive against Wisconsin last Saturday.
Sophomore running back Derrius Guice made his first career start and showed off his best No. 7 impression in Fournette’s stead, romping for 155 yards and one touchdown as LSU beat Jacksonville State, 34-13, on Saturday.
Guice said he didn’t know he was starting until pregame warmups, roughly 30 minutes before kickoff. His best piece of advice came from Fournette himself, who told him to seize the moment.
“He [told] me to stay calm, do what we do best and make sure I pick up my pass blocking assignments,” Guice said. “[I] need it, because that’s a guy I look up to. I want to be like him. Him having faith in me and giving me advice is always much needed.”
Guice showed flashes during his freshman season as Fournette’s primary backup and kickoff return man. He toted the ball 51 times for 436 yards and three touchdowns and averaged 23.6 yards per kickoff return.
The 5-foot-11, 212-pound back had two carries in LSU’s season-opening loss against Wisconsin after fumbling on his first touch, an end-around that was fumbled at the line of scrimmage. Guice ended with three rushing yards.
This time he wrote a different story for himself, showcasing the future of LSU’s running game and making his bid for the No. 7 jersey next season.
“I liked Guice,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “[He] came in and showed that he’s a pretty special back.”
Guice started slowly along with the LSU offense, picking up four yards on two carries in a scoreless first quarter. Then Miles switched signal callers, benching junior quarterback Brandon Harris in favor of junior quarterback Danny Etling. By halftime, Guice was on pace to shatter his career high for rushing yards in a game.
Guice’s 89-yard quarter spearheaded LSU’s second and third touchdown drives, the first of which he sparked with a 32-yard run on the drive’s first play. Eight plays later, he punched in a four-yard touchdown through the heart of the defense, the fourth of his career and first this season.
With the Gamecock defense noticeably gassed and the Tigers spreading out the defense with a three-wide set, Guice took a shotgun handoff up the middle before bouncing it out to the left and outrunning defenders for a 44-yard gain. Sophomore fullback Bry’Keithon Mouton was in the end zone three plays later after Guice took a screen pass 18 yards down to the two-yard line.
“They were more honest to the pass whenever we switched quarterbacks — I picked up on that,” Guice said. “They always overrun everything — that’s another thing. So, we just had everybody spread it out, which was needed, so they wouldn’t load the box.”
Guice added another 61 yards in the third quarter and beginning of the fourth before being replaced by sophomore running back Nick Brossette.
His day was nearly capped off by a 52-yard, one-handed receiving touchdown, but his outstretched palm was unable to reel in the pass on a wheel route down the right sideline.
“Timing was messed up because I got grabbed on the way out,” he said. “It will be fine — I will make it up.”
For Guice, his night as LSU’s feature back with more than a buck fifty on the ground in Tiger Stadium didn’t feel any different than if he was backing up Fournette.
He was just doing his job, he said.
“Every game, every practice, it’s my mindset,” Guice said. “Whether Leonard’s there or not, when I’m called upon, I got to do what I got to do … Hopefully it will carry on the rest of the season.”
LSU freshman running back Derrius Guice (5) carries the ball during the Tigers' 31-14 defeat against the University of Arkansas on Nov. 14. 2015 in Tiger Stadium.
