Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) breaks loose for a touchdown run against the Mississippi Rebels during the third quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
BATON ROUGE, La. — Returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the last two games, Leonard Fournette shattered the LSU rushing record with 284 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns, including runs of 76 and 78 yards, to power the No. 25 Tigers to a 38-21 win over No. 23 Ole Miss on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.
The victory was LSU’s third straight and special to interim coach Ed Orgeron, who coached Ole Miss for three seasons from 2005 to 2007. The win raised the Tigers’ record to 5-2 and 3-1 in the SEC, with a bye week coming before playing No. 1 Alabama at home on Nov. 5.
Fournette, who missed three of LSU’s first six games because of the sprained ankle, was dominant. After losing 1 yard on his first carry, Fournette shredded the Rebels’ defense for 250 yards on his next six carries — a nifty 41.7-yard average — including TD runs of 59, 76 and 78 yards.
Fournette’s 284 yards broke the LSU record for a game set by Alley Broussard against Ole Miss in 2004.
All three of his scoring runs came off right tackle. Fournette did not play in the final eight minutes and finished 37 yards shy of the SEC rushing record for a game of 321 yards, set by Frank Mordica of Vanderbilt in 1978 and Darren McFadden of Arkansas in 2007.
Fournette broke open a 21-21 game on his first carry of the second half, taking a quick pitch on the right side and stiff-arming cornerback Deontay Anderson 20 yards downfield. After that, it was clear sailing for the 78-yard TD — his third rushing score of the game — and a 28-21 lead.
Colby Delahoussaye added a 44-yard field goal on LSU’s next possession and Derrius Guice iced the game with a 6-yard run with 7:26 left, giving LSU a 38-21 lead.
Ole Miss fell to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SEC.
Playing for the first time in three weeks because of a sprained ankle, Fournette ran wild in the first half, gaining 171 yards on just six carries, including touchdown runs of 59 and 76 yards. His second score came on a simple pitch off right tackle, and Fournette outraced the Ole Miss secondary into the end zone as LSU took a 21-13 lead.
It appeared that was going to be the score going into halftime, but LSU’s calculated gamble with 70 seconds left in the half backfired. On first down from the LSU 17, quarterback Danny Etling faked a handoff and dropped back to look deep, but defensive end Marquis Haynes slammed into him untouched and forced a fumble inside the Tigers’ 10.
Three plays later, Hakeem Judd ran 2 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-19, and Kelly converted the two-point conversion with a keeper up the middle. The conversion came from the LSU 1 after defensive end Arden Key was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after Judd’s TD run.
Ole Miss raced to 10-0 lead, cruising 77 yards on six plays on its first possession, with quarterback Chad Kelly rolling right and hitting Van Jefferson for a 15-yard score. Gary Wunderlich made it 10-0 with a 46-yard field goal. At that point, Ole Miss had outgained LSU 104-11.
Fournette’s 59-yard scoring run on LSU’s next series flipped the momentum, drawing the Tigers within 10-7, and Etling gave LSU a 14-10 lead with a 40-yard pass to D.J. Chark, who was wide open when the Rebels’ secondary blew the coverage.
NOTES: Ole Miss led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter, giving the Rebels a 71-27 edge over their seven opponents in the first quarter. … RB Leonard Fournette posterized CB Deontay Anderson on the left sidelines with a bulldozing run at the end of a 22-yard reception, flipping Anderson on his back. … Fournette surpassed 1,000 yards, giving LSU two 1,000-yard backs (Derrius Guice) in a season for the first time since 1965. … It was Fournette’s 19th career 100-yard game.
