Brian Kelly Provides a Status Update on LSU Football Running Back Caden Durham

Durham continues unlocking the rushing attack, diversifying the playbook for the Tigers during SEC play.

Oct 19, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; LSU Tigers running back Caden Durham (29) rushes for a touchdown against Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. (10) during the first quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

LSU true freshman running back Caden Durham has unlocked the Tigers' rushing attack in 2024 as he continues playing at a Freshman All-American level this season.

Durham, who arrived in Baton Rouge as a four-star, Top 10 running back in America over the summer, has taken over as the lead back for the Tigers this fall.

Despite suffering a foot injury a few weeks ago, Durham hasn't blinked.

He's battled through injury, continued emerging as a star and is giving LSU life in the rushing attack.

"A lot of guys would not be in the game," Kelly said of Durham's injury on Monday. "He's playing at about 80-85%, but he's got great vision, he's got toughness (and he) keeps his legs moving.

"Injuries are hard to deal with at any position, but when you're a running back and you've got an injury and you're still fighting through it, I think it says a lot about the young man and I'm really proud of him."

Durham has been a critical piece to the offense's success in Baton Rouge. LSU signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier has handled business through the air with Durham making it happen on the ground.

The youngster tallied 21 carries for 101 yards and three touchdowns in Week 8 after averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry.

On the season? Durham is up to 382 yards and eight touchdowns on 62 carries for averages of 6.2 yards per attempt and 63.7 yards per contest.

#LSU RB Caden Durham has unlocked the rushing attack for the Bayou Bengals.

The freshman phenom is taking over in Year 1 with the offense clicking on all cylinders.

Saturday Night:
- 21 carries
- 101 yards
- 3 TDs

The 2024 Season: 62 carries, 382 yards + 6 TDs

Taking over. pic.twitter.com/NEY8MwM1Au

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) October 20, 2024

“I’m really impressed with a freshman running back that is not playing at 100%, but in there playing with grit and toughness and just the kind of resolve that he has,” Kelly said.

It's about finding diversity in the playbook for offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, and with Durham unlocking the ground game, the Tigers are hitting their stride.

“We want to be equally efficient,” Kelly said about diversifying the playbook. “Whether it’s running or throwing as an offense, and then from a defensive standpoint, if you’re one-dimensional — in other words if you can’t stop the run, but you’re great against the pass — you really can never be consistent in anything.

“Trying to find that consistency is really about balance and being good in both phases of running the ball, throwing the ball, stopping the run, being efficient in terms of pass defense. Those are areas that we’ve worked hard. So winning for me is about how you can get to a level of consistency at all phases. And we’re getting better at that. We had some glaring weaknesses in one of those phases or another and we’re shoring those up as we go through this season.”

Now, Durham has done that in the ground game.

Through the air, Nussmeier is thriving with his pass catchers of Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson and Mason Taylor.

“I feel like what was better was the cohesiveness of the tight ends, the wide receivers, the quarterback getting us in the right plays, backs seeing it better — there was cohesiveness,” Kelly said. “We were disconnected at one of those junctures at one time or another when we were struggling running the football.

“It wasn’t just the five guys up front. It was something else that was going on. Maybe it was an offensive lineman one time, and then the next we didn’t push-crack with the receiver, or the other time we didn’t get an up-cut with an outside-zone play, or the tight end botched off the end instead of stretching him. We got the connection of all those guys in unison this past weekend, because we’ve been spending so much more time on it in practice. So we’ll continue to do that, because it’s beginning to pay off. And we need that running game for us to continue to have the balance we need on offense.”

No. 8 LSU will head to College Station next weekend for a date against the Texas A&M Aggies in a battle for the top of the Southeastern Conference.

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