Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) catches the ball and runs for a touchdown against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Texas Tech entered the Texas Bowl with one of the worst run defenses in the nation. LSU arrived with running back Leonard Fournette. What happened next was pretty predictable.
Fournette rushed for 212 yards and scored a bowl-record five touchdowns, leading LSU to a 56-27 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Fournette pummeled Texas Tech defenders and went over 200 yards for the fourth time this season. The sophomore, who is not eligible for this spring’s NFL Draft, scored on runs of 43, 4 and a pair of 2-yard touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown in the first half, helping the Tigers overcome a big performance from Texas Tech quarterback Pat Mahomes.
Mahomes completed 28 of 56 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns, three to receiver Jakeem Grant, but couldn’t keep up with Fournette and the Tigers in the second half. Grant finished with 125 receiving yards on 10 catches.
LSU rushed for 384 yards. Texas Tech finished with 29 yards on the ground. Tigers quarterback Brandon Harris, running back Darrel Williams and receiver D.J. Chark each had rushing touchdowns for LSU.
The game turned midway through the third quarter. Trailing 28-20, Texas Tech was threatening at the LSU 16-yard line, when Tigers defensive back Rickey Jefferson picked off a deflected pass near the goal line to end the Red Raiders drive. LSU quickly turned the turnover into points, with Fournette scoring from four yards out to put the Tigers up 35-20 with four minutes left in the third quarter. Texas Tech never recovered.
The win caps an up-and-down season for the Tigers, who were ranked as high as No. 2 at one point in the season, only to suffer a three-game losing streak in November that almost cost Les Miles his job. After a 38-17 loss to Ole Miss, reports surfaced that Miles would be relieved. But the Tigers rallied around their coach and carried him off the field after a 19-7 win over Texas A&M to end the regular season.
LSU led 21-13 at halftime. Fournette rushed for score and caught a 44-yard touchdown on a screen pass in the first half. Grant caught two touchdown passes from Mahomes in the first half to keep Texas Tech close.
NOTES: RB Leonard Fournette, who broke the LSU record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 21, is not eligible for this year’s NFL Draft. … Texas Tech QB Pat Mahomes went over 5,000 total yards on the season. He is the 12th quarterback in NCAA history to accomplish the milestone. … LSU opens the 2016 season against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. … Tuesday’s game was an announced sellout. It was the second time since the bowl’s inception that single-game tickets have sold out.
