Welcome everyone to the latest edition of #4Downs where I break down game by game LSU’s performance! This week, we look at the Tigers win over Ole Miss.
1st Down: Fournette Making Up For Lost Time
After missing the last two games, Leonard Fournette returned with the intent of wrecking shop and that’s exactly what he did on Saturday night against Ole Miss. This looked like the running back that we saw at the beginning of last season when he imposed his will on Auburn and made a statement that he was back and wasn’t going to be denied. The junior running back got a whole lot of help from his offensive line with a good chunk of the long touchdown runs he had on the way to breaking the LSU single game record with 284 yards on the ground. The scary part is that this was off of 16 carries. How many players can say they had an average of 17 yards per carry in this day and age? Not a whole lot and Fournette has shown once again why his draft stock was so high heading into this season.
2nd Down: Double-Edged Donte Jackson
Donte Jackson was one of the better players on Saturday night and helped LSU get that lead back after a fumble by DJ Chark gave the Rebels the ball in their territory with an interception at their own three yard line. At the same time, Jackson had a few pass interference calls that led to points on the board. It negated the big play that turned the momentum in favor of LSU. He still had a solid performance, but the penalties could’ve wound up costing them the game.
3rd Down: Second Half Shutout by Defense
Ole Miss has had trouble all season long in the second half and this Saturday was no different. But you can thank LSU’s defense for the shutdown of Chad Kelly and the Rebels. Ole Miss ended up with only 104 yards of offense in the second half after they tied things up late in the second quarter. Dave Aranda’s performance as the defensive coordinator with his adjustments has been living up to the moniker of mad scientist especially in a big game against an SEC opponent worth talking about.
4th Down: Coach O Clears First Hurdle
The interim head coach has cleared his first hurdle with a good win over the Ole Miss Rebels, a team that he coached several years ago. The offense continues to look like something that LSU fans haven’t seen in a while. The first hurdle of the toughest stretch in all of college football and Ed Orgeron cleared it with relative ease, but the biggest one is right in front of him in the form of Alabama. This could help lock down the gig as LSU head coach for an indefinite period, but it won’t be easy as the Crimson Tide look to be one of the best teams that has been coached by Nick Saban.
-Clint Domingue