LSU off, running in rout of Miami
NO. 25 LSU 33, NO. 8 MIAMI 17
ARLINGTON, Texas — Nick Brossette ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns, graduate transfer quarterback Joe Burrow won his first college start, and No. 25 LSU made an opening statement with a 33-17 victory over No. 8 Miami on Sunday night.
Once the game started, the Hurricanes never really backed the bravado they showed in a feisty exchange of words and some shoving between the teams during warmups about 75 minutes before kickoff.
“We got a happy football team in there,” LSU head Coach Ed Orgeron said. “You could tell today our guys were locked in. The leadership of this team has been phenomenal in fall camp.”
LSU led 27-3 by halftime after Jacob Phillips returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
“Regardless of what’s out there and what people say, we believe in each other in that room, and we proved it tonight,” Orgeron said about the perception that his team was the underdog.
Cole Tracy, a kicker last season at Division II Assumption College, made four field goals in his Tigers’ debut. His 54-yarder that just
skimmed over the crossbar made it 33-3 late in the third quarter.
Miami (0-1), which has lost four games in a row since a 10-0 start last season, never got to celebrate much against the Tigers (1-0).
“We certainly had some things go well and some things not well,” said Miami Coach Mark Richt, going into his third season at his alma mater. “A lot of self-inflicted wounds, not to take anything away from what LSU did. They beat us soundly.”
When LSU fumbled on the opening drive, receiver Dee Anderson managed to recover after taking a shot to the head and losing the ball briefly at the end of an 11yard catch for a first down. The Hurricanes instead lost starting cornerback Trajan Bandy when he was ejected for targeting.
The Hurricanes thought they had a fumble return for a touchdown later in the first quarter, but a replay review determined it was an incomplete pass by Burrow instead of a fumble.
LSU went ahead to stay in the final minute of the first quarter when Burrow, who played in 10 games for Ohio State the past two years, appeared to change the called play. Brossette took an inside handoff and went untouched down the middle of the field for a 50-yard TD run that snapped a 3-3 tie.
Burrow finished 11-of-24 passing for 140 yards.
“Execute, do what the game plan says,” Burrow said. “Really all that was on my mind was going out and playing with my brothers and executing at a high level.”
Brossette’s 1-yard run made it 17-3 on an 11-play drive when LSU twice converted fourth and 1 — on a 2-yard gain by Brossette near midfield, and when Miami jumped offsides. He had only 96 yards rushing all last season as a junior.
“Same story with Nick for four years,” Orgeron said. “He’s an LSU Tiger.
“He’s a good back. He still needs to prove himself throughout the year. I think LSU fans will be very pleased with him.”