When No. 21 LSU took the field before kickoff on Saturday night, Fournette was not in uniform, but rather in a purple warm-up suit.
Advertisement
Did it also yield a new starting quarterback in Danny Etling? And its fan base in not a very good mood.
“It goes back to Eli’s experience”, JSU coach John Grass said.
LSU’s Tre’Davious White returned a punt for a 60-yard touchdown. But lighning persisted until shortly before the scheduled 6:35 p.m. LSU quarterbacks only completed 8 passes, so it was a good sign to see them spreading the ball around, and it wasn’t just one guy propping up the offense. If Ryan Connelly, the only linebacker dropped into coverage, couldn’t find a crease through a wall of offensive linemen and make an open-field tackle on one of the most talented running backs in the country, Leonard Fournette would likely have burst into UW territory and put the Tigers in position to extend their fourth-quarter lead.
Etling converted a third-and-five, and a few plays later he launched a ideal pass down the sideline to tight end DeSean Smith for a 46-yard touchdown to snap out of a funk that seemed to carry over from the disappointing opening loss at Lambeau Field.
In his absence, running backs Derrius Guice, Darrel Williams and Nick Brossette are available to handle Fournette’s workload. Fitzgerald ran the ball 17 times for 195 yards, which was a Mississippi State record in rush yards by a quarterback.
There were too many questions about the embattled coach’s own program coming off a season-opening upset loss to Wisconsin. This was the first meeting between LSU and Jacksonville State.
“We all compete. Frankly, our quarterback can play better and will play better”. Lightning in the area delayed the kickoff for LSU’s home opener against Jacksonville State on September 10, 2016.
Against Jacksonville State, Maea Teuhema replaced Boutte, but Miles did not indicate who will start this week.
Feel that? It was a pulse in LSU’s wrist. He rushed for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman but was dominant in 2015, accumulating 2,206 yards from scrimmage and 23 touchdowns. Thus began the scoring in a frenetic second period that was entertaining – but painfully frustrating for the Gamecocks. Former Acadiana star Bry’Kiethon Mouton also reached the end zone for the first time in his LSU career, with a 2-yard plunge in the 2nd quarter. Suddenly, a running game wasn’t almost such castor oil for Tiger fans to swallow.
Miles stressed that he is not ready to disregard using Harris.
The Tigers know what they’re going to get.
White fielded a punt near the LSU 40, reversed his field almost straight backwards, then turned wide right and rambled 60 yards for a touchdown and 27-10 LSU lead with 20 seconds to play before halftime.
“Even though this was done by mistake, a play like this does not belong in the game of football and therefore action must be taken”, Miles said.
Advertisement
Etling’s first-half passing numbers were off-the-charts: 6-for-8 for 100 yards and a touchdown, and he led the Tigers to a TD on each of his three drives. The Gamecocks, who had 227 yards of offense and nine first-half first downs, were held to 141 yards in the final half. Like Miles repeatedly said Monday that his QB needs to calm down.
