Ground zero: LSU’s backs contributing little

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, October 12, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

LSU Tigers
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When anyone talked about the Louisiana State Tigers' running backs prior to this football season, the question was usually: "Where did all that talent come from?"

Now, near the halfway mark, it has turned to "Where did everybody go?"

After what has transpired so far, Tiger coach Les Miles would probably trade his entire blue-chip collection of former high school All-Americans for one healthy Kenny Irons or Kenneth Darby. It's gotten that bad.

Alley Broussard, the team's biggest (literally) ground force, missed last season with a torn ACL and showed up for fall practice at more than 250 pounds. When asked if a scarcity of practice reps meant Broussard was in the doghouse because of his weight, Miles replied: "He's not overweight. No, I take that back -- he is overweight. But he's not in the doghouse."

Nevertheless, Broussard has been a step or two slow in hitting the holes this year, and it shows in his stat line -- only 183 rushing yards so far. In a pivotal matchup against Auburn several weeks ago, he gained 15 yards. Compare this to two years ago, when the redshirt junior led the team with 867 rushing yards, including a titanic 250-yard performance against Mississippi.

Justin Vincent is another potential superstar, a guy with 4.4 speed, a 325-pound bench-press and a 40-inch vertical leap. And, like Broussard, a knee injury in his recent past. The LSU Web site said of Vincent before the season began: "He will be back at 100 percent in August after rehabbing a knee injury suffered on kickoff coverage against Miami in the Peach Bowl. Had intense rehab and is now better than ever."

Well, no. In fact, the 5-foot-10, 223-pounder from Lake Charles hasn't been "better than ever" for years, not since he gained 1,001 rushing yards as a freshman in 2003 when LSU won a share of the national title. The next season, he gained 332 yards, in 2005 just over 400, and he's accumulated all of 77 this season, including 16 yards in 10 carries in that same Auburn game.

Fortunately, Winnsboro freshman Charles Scott turned out to be the wild card in the deck, moving into a starting role and leading the team in rushing -- with 214 yards (101 of them in a victory over Tulane). But up to now, the entire LSU running back corps doesn't have as many rushing yards collectively as Navy's quarterback.

Then, last week, Scott was out with a concussion, forcing fullback Jacob Hester into the tailback harness against Florida. Hester is a solid college player with good receiving, running and blocking skills, but he'll never be confused with Vincent or Broussard in their prime. If he winds up in the NFL, it will be as a fullback.

But what about Keiland Williams, rated either the No. 1 of No. 2 prep back in the country last year, depending upon which recruiting guru you believed? He's played only enough to lose his virginity (in redshirt terms), gaining 31 yards. And now, he's out with an ankle injury. Classmate Trindon Holliday's only claim to fame has been falling on Early Doucet's fumbled kickoff in the end zone last week to turn a potential Florida touchdown into a less-painful safety.

No wonder LSU has underachieved. Without a credible running game, enormous pressure has been placed on the broad shoulders of QB JaMarcus Russell, not to mention the defense. Without a balanced offense, Russell has been receiving more pressure than usual, and the team has had difficulty running off large chunks of clock without backs capable of moving the chains.

Scott may play this week against Kentucky. If he doesn't, Hester will be the starter again.

"We like having the ball in Jacob's hands," Miles said in his weekly press conference.

Especially when his other choices are so limited.

Get weekly LSU Tigers coverage at RealFootball365.com
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