LSU finds its legs in second half
ORLANDO, Fla. — For much of the first half Saturday, LSU sophomore running back Derrius Guice found little room to work as Louisville’s defensive front filled the gaps and swarmed to the ball.
But the second half of the Citrus Bowl was a different story.
The game slowed down and Guice took the time to let the blocks develop before hitting the holes. Finally he popped a 12-yard run off left tackle and then the big one came the next play when he burst up the middle, broke a tackle and then was off to the races for a 70-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that all but closed the door on the 15th-ranked Cardinals and sealed the 19th-ranked Tigers 29-9 victory at Camping World Stadium.
“As a running back you just have to be patient, you can’t get upset, you can’t get mad when things don’t always go your way,” said Guice, who earned the Citrus Bowl MVP after finishing his day with 138 yards and a rushing touchdown while also catching a 1-yard touchdown pass. “You just got to work and grind, go on the sidelines with the coaches and get everything fixed.”
The spotlight has been on Guice since star running back Leonard Fournette announced earlier this month that he would not play in the Tigers’ bowl game so that he can focus on getting his injured ankle healthy to begin his path toward an NFL career. Guice had filled in nicely for Fournette during the season and Saturday was no different as his clock-draining runs and the Tigers’ (8-4) suffocating defense limited Louisville’s Heisman Trophywinning quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“We had probably one of the best players in college football in Leonard Fournette get hurt, and he stepped in and didn’t blink an eye,” said LSU coach Ed Orgeron, who won his first official game as head coach since being relieved of the interim title last month. “He is one of the best players in America and I totally expect him to be the best player in America next year and we’re fortunate to have him.”
Guice made explosive plays running the ball and catching it, but his most memorable play may have come on special teams in the fourth quarter when he took a kickoff return 50 yards, steamrolling Cardinals kicker Blanton Creque near the sideline in the process. It was the perfect capper on a breakout season while delivering a glimpse of what is in store for next season.
“LSU is Army U so when one man goes down you’ve got to step up,” Guice said. “I feel like I’ve done a great job of stepping up this year.”
TaxSlayer Bowl
GEORGIA TECH 33, KENTUCKY 18: In Jacksonville, Fla., freshman Dedrick Mills ran for a careerhigh 169 yards and a touchdown, leading the Yellow Jackets to a victory against Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
It was the seventh-most rushing yards in bowl history, earning Mills the Most Valuable Player trophy and making some forget about his two suspensions this season.
“I think he can be a very special player,” coach Paul Johnson said. “He’s a very talented young man. We’ve got to try to help him grow up. Sometimes, you know, at that age, when you’re 18, we all didn’t make great decisions. It’s our job to help him make the right decisions because he’s got a bright future if he’ll continue to work hard.”
Playing without running back Marcus Marshall, who decided to transfer after the regular-season finale, Georgia Tech (9-4) turned to Mills to handle the workload against Kentucky (7-6). The newcomer from nearby Waycross, Ga., delivered. With dozens of friends and family members in attendance, he carried a career-high 31 times as the Yellow Jackets won back-to-back bowl games for the first time in more than a decade.
“It wasn’t that tough. It wasn’t that tough,” Mills said. “Behind the offensive line, running off their blocks, made it easier for me to find holes and get through them.”
Senior P.J. Davis returned a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown. Fellow linebacker Terrell Lewis blocked a punt late in the first half that set up one of Harrison Butker’s four field goals. Thomas added a 21-yard TD run in his final collegiate game.
“It’s a great feeling,” Thomas said. “Everything has to come to an end one day. Happy it ended like this.”