LSU coach Les Miles likes his running backs the way he likes his NASCAR: fast.
Miles turned Saturday night in Tiger Stadium into Talladega Nights, touting the Tigers’ backfield tandem of sophomore Kenny Hilliard and junior Alfred Blue as “Shake N’ Bake” after the duo stampeded through and around the North Texas defense for a combined 264 yards.
“It wasn’t so much ‘Thunder and Lightning,’” Miles said. “They were like the Will Ferrell movie with the NASCAR. Shake N’ Bake.”
On a night when the word “correctable” was on the tip of Miles’ tongue as LSU committed several “sloppy” errors, the Talladega tandem was the offense’s lone sharp spot.
“They just hit and continue hitting,” said senior offensive lineman Josh Dworaczyk. “Next thing you know, they’re 30 yards downfield. It made up for a few mistakes we had on the line.”
Despite the talk surrounding new quarterback Zach Mettenberger and an enhanced passing game, LSU’s offensive formula from last season looked unchanged.
But instead of last year’s leading rushers, juniors Michael Ford and Spencer Ware, knifing through an opposing defense, it was Blue and Hilliard — both serving as a featured back for the first time — who made the formula work.
Hilliard noticeably slimmed down in fall camp and ran more like a tailback than a fullback, a spot he occupied early last year as a true freshman.
Hilliard’s first two carries each netted touchdowns, and he broke free for a 60-yard scamper late in the second quarter, a longer run than LSU had all of last season.
“The offensive line kept getting [me] to the next level, so it usually just took one move by that point,” said Hilliard, who finished with 141 yards rushing. “I saw a lot of green grass.”
While Hilliard was the surprise “Shake” side of the duo, Blue was busy seeing green, too — North Texas green.
The junior hardly looked nervous in his first career start, consistently grinding out first downs and bowling over Mean Green defenders for 123 yards on 16 carries.
“I was anxious just to get to the field,” Blue said. “Once I got out there, it was just natural. I was trying to prove that I can keep my head down and hurt you.”
But Blue also tore off a 37-yard run and flashed the speed that kept him in LSU’s rotation last fall, preventing the North Texas defense from loading the interior.
On a night when the LSU passing game struggled to take flight early as Mettenberger often found himself under pressure, that versatility lifted the Tigers to 508 total yards — LSU’s highest offensive output since November 2007.
“You don’t usually realize which guy is back there behind you,” said senior center PJ Lonergan. “Either of them is capable of getting to the outside. That’s most effective because they’re both so big, so getting a yard or two on short yardage plays inside isn’t an issue.”
Even though the duo credited an experienced offensive line for the Tigers’ 316 yards on the ground, Lonergan and Dworaczyk were quick to point out any number of mistakes they made in blocking.
That’s a scary thought for opposing defenses, because LSU didn’t exactly show its offensive hand on Saturday.
Ware didn’t see the field against North Texas, hyped freshman running back Jeremy Hill didn’t get a carry and the passing game still relied on quick screens and horizontal throws to move the chains.
So how did LSU’s rushing attack barely miss a beat, even though the major players from last season were largely absent?
“I guess the running backs behind us are just that good,” Lonergan said. “You don’t reach 316 yards on accident, but it wasn’t on us [Saturday]. They know how to shake up those defenders.”
