He allowed only two receptions, but one was the game’s first score, a 37-yard touchdown pass from Danny Etling to D.J. Chark. LSU didn’t really try to force the ball to him down the field, they just put him in the slot, where he was more likely to have some room and let the game come to him. But LSU could lose this week, fall to 1-2 and still make the College Football Playoff.
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Plays that sputtered under Fitzgerald suddenly worked for an offense guided by Williams. But the brief decision to dabble in the unknown, maybe to appease those who have called for it, left LSU in a tough situation late in the game.
Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen doesn’t yet know if it will be Etling or Harris on Saturday night, nor does he care. “The receivers that are out on routes are really looking for the Danny Etling style of throw”. Until LSU proves that it can move the ball against quality competition, it doesn’t make sense to lay almost two touchdowns with the Tigers, who were supposed to be national title contenders. The Gamecocks (2-1) also blocked a field goal to make a 17-0 lead they sprinted out to in the first seven minutes stick.
Williams scored on the next play on a two-yard touchdown and MSU cut the lead to 23-13 with 4:10 remaining.
“We have some guys that can fly”, Miles said. I still do not know the answer; however, when situations become hard to read I like to look at trends. Snell had 17 carries for 136 yards and four touchdowns.
“That’s where leadership comes in”, Williams said. “We kept telling Josh, ‘We’re going to need that big play from you.’ And he delivered”.
MSU didn’t attempt another onside kick with two timeouts left. Chark had three catches for 52 yards.
LSU’s Leonard Fournette was a spectator last weekend after an ankle injury.
Nick Fitzgerald appeared to take a firm grasp on the quarterback position last week with 178 rushing yards and over 350 total yards against SC.
Fournette carried the ball 28 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. But he did like what he saw from Williams.
Miles had hinted this week that Etling would take the first snap against the Bulldogs (1-1) at Tiger Stadium, replacing Harris, who has started the team’s past 14 games. Each team has been trying to find its identity. I think they care more about their cocktails at the tailgate than the game in the stadium. “But, “(Fitzgerald’s) helmet pops off, he’s ready, comes in and doesn’t miss a beat”. It was time for Fournette to make the second half a breeze. Mississippi State lost its opener in a stunner but bounced back by dominating SC and now has a 1-1 record. It was a rare lack of execution by a player many around here believe is the nation’s top player.
“There were a lot of plays to be made in the first half there”, Mullen said. “You’ve just got to be patient and take what they give you”. “They are built to stop the run”. Fournette finished his reception by running over Leo Lewis, the Bulldogs’ prized recruit from the 2015 class – then the top-ranked inside linebacker in the nation.
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Fournette, whose tackle and record-breaking performance placed him firmly in the lead for the Heisman Trophy at the time, is getting his due respect from Auburn’s defense, but his presence won’t change the Tigers mentality. There were several drops, including a near touchdown by Ross.
