Leonard Fournette (7) is expected to return this weekend when LSU tangles with Ole Miss. Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
LSU junior running back Leonard Fournette will play against Mississippi on Saturday, LSU interim head coach Ed Orgeron announced Monday.
“I expect Leonard Fournette to be back this week,” Orgeron said. “I expect him to practice (Monday) and all week.”
Fournette has not played the past three weeks because of an ankle injury. He sat out the game against Missouri, then got extra rest when the following week’s game against Florida was postponed until Nov. 19. He then missed this past Saturday’s victory over Southern Mississippi.
Fournette also missed the Sept. 10 game against Jacksonville State.
“Maybe he could have pushed it the past couple weeks, but we didn’t,” Orgeron said. “I don’t know how much he will be able to do. We are going to run the plays he can run, and the plays he’s not able to run, we won’t run him.”
Derrius Guice rushed for over 100 yards in all three games Fournette missed. Guice has rushed for 564 yards with an average of 9.1 yards per carry for the season, while Fournette has gained 386 yards on the ground while averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
“We want to rotate our guys and keep them fresh,” Orgeron said. “There might be a possibility of putting them both in the backfield at the same time.”
