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September 2, 2014
Colonels complete hoops staff
September 9, 2014
The LSU football team scored nine touchdowns on Saturday night in a much-expected 56-0 demolition of Sam Houston State – a completely overmatched and outclassed Southland Conference foe.
But eight of the nine LSU scores came from players who were either true freshmen or sophomores.
That’s scary for opposing SEC defensive coordinators who are now bracing for what the future may hold in Baton Rouge.
The No. 12 Tigers walloped the Bearcats up and down the field on Saturday, gaining 399 of their 584 total yards in the first half of the game en route to the dominant win.
But most of the questions after the game revolved around LSU’s core of young, but talented standouts – guys with potential to rule the conference for the next few seasons.
LSU coach Les Miles acknowledged his young core, adding that the group matured and progressed in its second game of the 2014 season.
“We are coming,” LSU coach Les Miles said after the game. “We played a team that we really outmanned and extended the lead on, but for the most part (we) played pretty well.
“We played 15 true freshmen. … I think our football team grew up a little bit today. We had some young guys out there making tackles, catches and runs. We had young guys throwing to young guys – a good, solid win.”
Let’s start with true freshman phenom Leonard Fournette – the guy that everyone has wanted to see in purple and gold since his sophomore year at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans.
After a subpar college debut against Wisconsin, Fournette shined against the Bearkats, rushing for 13 carries for 92 yards – enough to lead all LSU halfbacks in both rushing yards and yards per carry in the win. He also caught two passes for 32 yards.
But the highlight (and perhaps lowlight) of Fournette’s night came late in the first quarter when he took a four-yard scamper into the end zone to put the Tigers ahead 20-0. To celebrate his first-ever collegiate score, Fournette did a Heisman Trophy pose – a period of jubilation that drew the true freshman a tongue-lashing from Miles, who said he wants Fournette to understand what goes into scoring a touchdown at the college level.
“I think it is a little premature to launch a Heisman candidacy,” Miles said. “I think he needs to realize too that this is his team and it has nothing to do with personal liberty. There were a lot of guys blocking for that (touchdown) run and a lot of guys’ effort and energy to help that man score that touchdown.”
The coach added that Fournette is “fine” and added that he’d rather a player with passion over one who plays without fire. Per LSU rules, no true freshman is allowed to speak after games, so Fournette was unavailable to the press.
Fournette’s lone touchdown stole the thunder for what could easily be considered the best night of sophomore receiver Travin Dural’s young career.
One week after catching for 151 yards in the opener against Wisconsin, Dural was huge again against Sam Houston, snagging three passes for 140 yards – all touchdowns. The first score came on LSU’s first play from scrimmage – a 94-yard bomb.
His effort paved the way for sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings, who was 7-of-13 with 188 yards and the above-mentioned three touchdowns in the win, which marked his first-ever home start and just the third start of his young career.
More important than the number is that Jennings also went a second-straight game without an interception.
Jennings said his connection with Dural is the product of hard work and dedication.
“We just put in a lot of hard work throughout the season, last year and throughout the summer this year, as well,” Jennings said. “I have the utmost confidence in this guy, and behind the great offensive line that we have, it’s easy to get balls off to him.”
While Jennings and Dural perfect their sophomore-to-sophomore connection, a pair of true freshmen also hooked up for points in the Tigers’ passing game.
After seeing the field for just three plays against Wisconsin, true freshman Brandon Harris played several series for the Tigers in Saturday’s win.
As advertised, Harris made plays with both his powerful right arm and his legs.
The Bossier City native scored his first-career touchdown in the second quarter on a 46-yard touchdown run that saw the freshman slip through a slew of tackles en route to the end zone.
In the fourth quarter, Harris got his first-ever touchdown pass, hooking up with fellow true freshman Malachi Dupre.
For the game, Harris was 4-of-5 passing with 62 yards and a score. He rushed five times for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Dupre caught two passes for 23 yards and the touchdown in his collegiate debut after missing the Wisconsin game with a bum ankle.
“Hopefully that is a connection that we can make a regular occurrence sometime here in the future,” Miles said with a smile after the game when asked about Harris and Dupre’s efforts.
And if the other dominant contributions weren’t enough, LSU also got 14 carries and 65 yards and a touchdown out of true freshman halfback Darrel Williams – a four-star prospect out of John Ehret that is highly decorated, but often overshadowed because of Fournette’s presense.
On defense, the story remained the same as sophomores Dwayne Thomas and Rickey Jefferson each recorded interceptions and sophomores Christian LaCouture and Kendell Beckwith combined with freshmen Sione Teuhema and Greg Gilmore to record four of the team’s seven sacks.
“I think we accomplished what we needed to accomplish tonight,” Miles said. “There are ways for us to be better, but, for tonight, good job.”
The danger, of course, with playing an abundance of freshmen and sophomores is the risk of mental mistakes and the Tigers had their share in the win, including Fournette’s celebration gaffe and a late-minute fumble by Harris that turned over possession to Sam Houston State.
But those mistakes seem to pale in comparison to the positives that LSU’s talented young crop brings to the table.
Sam Houston State head coach K.C. Keeler just might have said it best after the game when he said that young or not – these Tigers have a chance to be absolutely loaded.
“I think they’ll have a heck of a season; they’re very young,” he said. “They’re certainly still a work in progress because of all the young guys they have in their program right now. But the LSU fans should be excited because there is a lot of great, young talent out there shining on that field.”
The Tigers get their next chance to showcase their lethal group of freshmen and sophomores on Saturday night against UL-Monroe in Tiger Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
LSU sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings flashes a giant smile after tossing a touchdown pass in Saturday night’s 56-0 blowout win against Sam Houston State. Eight of the Tigers’ nine touchdowns in the game were scored by players who are either freshmen or sophomores. That dominance has LSU fans excited about what the future may bring in Baton Rouge.
