LSU running back Leonard Fournette continued a spectacular September and a legitimate Heisman Trophy push Saturday at Syracuse with 244 yards on 26 carries in a 34-24 road win for the Tigers. It was Fournette's second consecutive 200-yard game after gashing Auburn for 228 yards last week, and it came against a Syracuse defense that entered the game having allowed only 46.7 yards per game on the ground, third-best in the NCAA.
But the Orange's rush defense had been built, competitively speaking, on sand. Syracuse had previously faced Rhode Island, Wake Forest and Central Michigan, and it was hardly equipped to handle a massive LSU offensive front, featuring pro prospects such as center Ethan Pocic, tackles Vadal Alexander and Jerald Hawkins, paving a path for one of college football's elite rushers.
One large chunk of Fournette's yardage, however, couldn't be blamed on the Orange's run defense:
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah suggested a Frank Gore comparison for the Tigers' star sophomore:
Gore, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers and now with the Indianapolis Colts, starred at Miami (Fla.) at the college level and has gone on to post eight 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL.
As a sophomore, Fournette won't be eligible to apply for early entry into the NFL draft until 2017.
For the season, Fournette now has 631 yards on 73 carries with eight touchdowns in three games. Noted LSU alum Shaquille O'Neal even made a case, via Twitter, for Fournette's Heisman candidacy. Next up for Fournette should be yet another prolific performance as LSU plays host to Eastern Michigan next week.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
