LSU rolls with five-man rushing crew
NEW ORLEANS — Today’s game figures to be one in which the teams will try to claw for field position and establish running games.
Alabama will come with the sometimes breathtaking Trent Richardson, a Heisman Trophy finalist who combines speed and power and rushed for 1,583 yards in 12 games. LSU will counter with a committee. The Tigers’ running game, just slightly less effective than Alabama’s statistically (215.2 average yards a game to ’Bama’s 219.8), is kind of like a running back salad bar.
Take a scoop of Michael Ford. Toss in some Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue. Garnish with Kenny Hilliard. And don’t forget to sprinkle in some Jordan Jefferson, who plays quarterback but wants to run, too.
Ford and Ware, both sophomores, have been the busiest, and each gained at least 700 yards this season. Blue, another sophomore, has broken runs of 57 and 48 yards and has gained 539 overall.
Hilliard, a freshman, came on late in the season, totaling 320 yards and giving the Tigers a gang of four at running back.
It’s up to Tigers offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa to parcel out the carries, and he pretty much goes with his gut once the game starts.
“Basically it becomes a hot hand, what’s working well and what’s going on,” he says.
A positive attitude among those sharing the ball has been crucial.
“You have to be positive,” Ford says. “Every night is not going to be your night. If I have a down day, the next back can come in there and cheer me up because he’s having a great day.”
All of the Tigers runners have proved to be battlers, tough guys who are willing to dig hard for an extra yard, and that attribute could be crucial in what figures to be a rugged national title game.
“Yards are precious,” Studrawa says. “You get a 4-yard run, we’re excited about that.”
Quarterback Jefferson figures to be a significant part of the running effort. In the teams’ first meeting this season, he replaced starter Jarrett Lee and hurt Alabama out of the option with 11 carries for 43 yards.
Now Jefferson, who was suspended for the first four games and then shared the position with Lee, is firmly entrenched as the quarterback. So the option could become a key factor in the Tigers attack.
“It’s going to be in our offense,” Studrawa says of the option. “It’s something we do. And it’s something Jordan brings to the table.”
Another significant difference between then and now is the emergence of Hilliard, a 5-11, 240-pound freshman who is a nephew of former LSU and New Orleans Saints star running back Dalton Hilliard. Kenny Hilliard set a state career rushing record of 8,603 yards at Patterson (La.) High.
In the first Alabama game, Hilliard had two carries for 2 yards. But in his last three games, he has more total carries (36) and yards (233) than any of the others.
“In Tuscaloosa, the first time, he was still growing up,” Studrawa says. “We were still finding out what he was good at.
“But I’ll tell you, he can do all the things that all these guys can do.”