A run game that was once an anticipated strength has become an unknown likely to define LSU’s season. But finding a solution requires specifying the root cause.
Ironically, LSU’s passing game hit the ground running this year despite losing its top two receivers and Heisman quarterback to the NFL. With a talented and versatile running back room and one of the best offensive lines in college football, running the ball wasn’t expected to be a concern. So then why has the ground game looked so stagnant and dull?
In its opener against USC, an inability to pick up significant yardage with the run stunted multiple drives. In what may have been the deciding game of the season, two consecutive bad run blocking snaps lead to a fourth quarter punt that could have been the difference.
Through the first two weeks, the Tigers ranked No. 127 nationally in rushing success rate. Against South Carolina, the Tigers attempted to break the goal line with three consecutive runs and were stopped all three times. This third quarter, 74-yard drive ended in a turnover on downs.
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It’s easy to point to a running back, the offensive line or the play caller, but ultimately it has been all three.
“The players are good enough,” head coach Brian Kelly said. “We gotta coach better, and that is on me.”
With four returning starters on the o-line, it was thought players like sophomore running back Kaleb Jackson would be able to walk their way through run plays. That has not been the case.
Attempts to start a drive with the run or use it to reach third and manageable have frequently been thwarted by leaky run blocking. Fortunately, those seams have opened more as of lately, and ball carriers have taken advantage every time.
In Week 1, John Emery averaged 6.1 yards a carry, totaling 61 yards on 10 carries. Much of that came from an explosive 39-yarder. Despite not always getting a seam to run through, his powerful performance gave reason for optimism. Then came the season-ending ACL tear.
Jackson came into this season with a lot of hype, he has produced 102 yards off 16 carries for 3.5 yards a pop. His longest rush is 19 yards.
Sixth-year senior Josh Williams has amassed 23 touches for 72 yards, making 3.1 yards a carry. His longest run is just 12 yards.
The loss of the starting running back and an underwhelming couple of weeks from the offensive line give reason for struggle, but a true solution remained in question.
Then Caden Durham emerged.
Durham has averaged 6.4 yards per carry, with 16 carries for 102 yards. He averaged 8.9 against South Carolina and crossed the goal line twice, including a 26-yard rush that opened the scoring for LSU.
Fifty of his 98 yards came after contact, forcing seven missed tackles on the way.
“He broke a ton of tackles,” Kelly said of Durham. “That’s the nature of the SEC, to make guys miss and run through tackles. He did a really good job of showing himself today and setting a standard of what we need at the running back position.”
Durham has brought an element previously nonexistent to LSU’s ground game following the loss of Emery. His short area burst and ability to make defenders miss allows him to create plays on his own and generate explosive plays when given the opportunity.
An established run game allows for explosiveness, security in short yardage situations, goal line dominance and unpredictability. The difference between 2nd-and-short versus 2nd-and-long is huge for a play caller and their offense.
Lacking this offensive dynamism has limited the Tigers’ ability to construct creative and unpredictable drives. With improving run blocking and the upside that Durham brings, a much-needed change could be taking shape.
