SEC INSIDER

No. 19 Tigers rounding into shape

The Sports Xchange

October 24, 2016 at 11:12 pm.

Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers linebacker Duke Riley (40) celebrates as Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) looks on following a defensive stop during the second half of a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Mississippi 38-21. Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers linebacker Duke Riley (40) celebrates as Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) looks on following a defensive stop during the second half of a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Mississippi 38-21. Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

LSU might be on the verge of becoming the team it had hoped to be after enduring a wild ride to its open date.

The Tigers were ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press preseason poll, started 2-2, fired head coach Les Miles and replaced him with interim coach Ed Orgeron, and welcomed back injured All-America running back Leonard Fournette, who had a record-setting game as LSU improved to 3-0 under Orgeron.

Now the 19th-ranked Tigers are 5-2 and 3-1 in the SEC and feeling a lot better about themselves as they have two weeks to prepare for No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 5 in Tiger Stadium.

“This is the team that everybody in the country thought we would be,” LSU outside linebacker Arden Key said. “And we’re only getting better. That’s the crazy part.”

Fournette hasn’t been 100 percent since injuring an ankle late in preseason camp. He reinjured it in a season-opening loss to Wisconsin and aggravated it in a loss toAuburn that wound up being Miles’ last game after 11 1/2 seasons. Fournette missed three full games. but in a 38-21 victory against Ole Miss last Saturday in Tiger Stadium, Fournette ran for a school-record 284 yards — on just 16 carries.

“It was hard (being sidelined),” Fournette said. “Throughout my entire career I never dealt with injury. Especially with this bone bruise in my ankle; it’s aggravating.”

Fournette had touchdown runs of 59, 76 and 78 yards.

“I get tired running down the field,” tackle K.J. Malone said. When I see him going for six, I get my energy back and take off running after him.

“It was amazing watching him run. He’s a worker. You always expect that. He always practices fast, picking the team up.”

The entire LSU has been uplifted since the coaching change. In victories against Missouri, Southern Mississippi and Ole Miss, LSU has outscored its opponents by an average of 41-12 an outgained them by an average of 536-277.

“We’re way different,” Key said of the LSU team the last three games to compared to the one the first four games. “Our backs are against the wall. A man can do some dangerous things when his back is against the wall.”

NOTES, QUOTES

BYE WEEK MISSION: Rest up without losing the edge that has been honed in the last month. Leonard Fournette looked the healthiest he has been all season against Ole Miss, but his sore ankle can use some rest as can a beat-up offensive live. Meanwhile, the Tigers have been improved on both sides of the ball during their three-game win streak and they will need to continue to improve if they are to knock off the unbeaten Crimson Tide.

PLAYER NOTES:

–Junior running back Leonard Fournette broke Alley Broussard’s school record of 250 rushing yards (set in 2004) when he had 284 against Ole Miss. That performance enabled Fournette to regain the team lead in rushing from Derrius Guice, who had run extremely well filling in while Fournette was sidelined.

–Senior LB Duke Riley had a career game against the Rebels. He made a career-high 14 tackles and grabbed the first interception of his career.

–CB Donte Jackson had an eventful game against Ole Miss. He was called for three pass interference penalties but also made an interception.

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