During the game against Southeastern, LSU running back Caden Durham exited in the second quarter due to an ankle injury.
With the matchup against Ole Miss this weekend, the Tigers might struggle to get the ground game going with the lead back limited.
After undergoing an MRI, it was determined that Durham did not sustain a high ankle sprain, making the chances of him playing Saturday likely, according to head coach Brian Kelly.
“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but we got a good report on him yesterday, and then this morning when we moved them around, it was positive,” Kelly said at Monday’s press conference.
Although Durham looks to play, there will likely be limitations in his speed and ability to make quick cuts with this nagging injury. Luckily, the Tigers have younger running backs who can fill in.
Durham’s workload was picked up mostly by sophomore Ju’Juan Johnson and Harlem Berry, with Johnson being the standout after rushing for 43 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
He exceeded expectations and picked up yards at will against Southeastern. Johnson showed off his elusiveness on many plays, including a 10-yard rushing touchdown, where he evaded multiple defenders around a clustered goal line.
Johnson’s brilliance was also refreshing to see for LSU fans, as the Tigers have struggled to get the ground game going the past few weeks. Durham looked solid but had his struggles through the first three weeks, including a poor performance versus LA Tech and a lackluster Florida game saved by a 51-yard breakaway run.
Johnson is also an extremely unique player. In high school, he played quarterback and became the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns at the highly regarded Lafayette Christian Academy. Johnson was then recruited to LSU to play as a cornerback, before quickly transitioning to the running back depth chart because of injuries.
Now, after such a strong performance against Southeastern, it looks like Johnson’s abnormal journey could finally lead to a key role in the offense.
Adding in new players and aspects to the run game should also ultimately help LSU.
At first, opposing teams primarily focused on Durham, as he served in a bell cow role. Now with Johnson creating receiving and breakaway run threats, defenses will be forced to open up more, allowing Durham and the whole offense opportunities to make big plays.
Ole Miss is currently dead last in SEC run defense, making it vital for LSU to get the run game going early. Even if Durham is not on the field, LSU needs to target these weaknesses and gain control of the game.
There’s no better way to do this than by getting Johnson good touches and using Durham whenever he’s needed to enact the whole offense to counter Ole Miss fast-paced offense.
“I don’t think we’ll go into the game short-handed by any respect,” Kelly said.
Kelly’s belief in the run game he’s enforced all season is real. Even with his star running back banged up, Kelly has not worried about the run game being a key component against a top-caliber team.
He expressed belief in the running backs last week, giving good volume to Berry and Kaleb Jackson against Southeastern, and even stated Jackson “probably had his best game” in the postgame press conference. It seems likely those two young stars will get some touches again in Oxford.
Overall, Durham will probably still see the field Saturday and have his own impact, but with the use of Johnson and company’s skill set, the offense should still succeed against this weak Ole Miss run defense.
