After Breakthrough Game, LSU Rushing Attack Can Have Success Against Ole Miss

LSU found its running game against Florida. Can the Tigers keep it going in Oxford?

After not being able to run the football for the majority of the season, LSU started to find its footing against a good Kentucky defense during the second half in Lexington. Then, against archrival Florida, LSU hit the jackpot by rushing for 321 yards and three touchdowns.

There’s been much to do about how poorly LSU ran the football heading into last Saturday’s game. The Tigers were ranked No. 127 out of 130 teams in rushing amongst FBS college football teams.

That should never happen at LSU, but then the ‘bludgeoning’ of Florida took place, and there’s a glimmer of hope as LSU prepares to travel north and face a bad Ole Miss rush defense. Here are some reasons for optimism as the Tigers get ready to play the Rebels.

In the last three games, Ole Miss gave up a whopping 782 yards on the ground. That’s not a misprint. The Rebels’ rushing defense ranks as the No. 111 unit in the country, and it’s now giving up 198.3 yards rushing per game.

Anyone think the Ole Miss defense is ready to take on hard-charging LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price after he whacked the Florida defense for 36 carries, 287 yards and three touchdowns on national television?

Well, that’s what the Rebels will be seeing. Davis-Price ran with a passion that is infectious, and his blockers up front as well as at tight end and wide receiver helped him greatly.

The LSU rushing attack was playing with 11 players attempting to pound the football at the Florida defense, and it worked. Now, the Rebels will need to try and figure out a way to slow down Davis-Price and LSU despite being so porous during recent games. Here are a couple of other factors to think about before Saturday’s game.

With Davis-Price toting the football an incredible 36 times in one contest, will any other LSU running back(s) be a significant part of the rushing attack versus Ole Miss? At some point, Davis-Price will need some rest.

Next, with Ole Miss knowing it cannot slow down any truly good running team, look for the Rebels to try and create havoc plays with blitzes and possibly even a defensive front that LSU did not yet see this year. With as bad as Ole Miss played run defense this season, what does it have to lose by being creative?

Finally, If LSU can even surpass the 150-yard rushing mark, it will certainly help signal caller Max Johnson and the LSU passing attack. It’s inevitable that the safeties for the Rebels will be creeping up to the line of scrimmage in an effort to slow down whichever running back lines up in the backfield next to Johnson.

While he may not pass 35 or 40 times against Ole Miss, look for Johnson’s yards per reception to skyrocket against Ole Miss because of the rushing attack.

The running game for LSU is back, and the revival is headed to Oxford to demolish the Rebels.