After struggling to run the football the past two seasons, LSU gave fans plenty of reason to believe the Tigers’ rushing attack could become a strength under coach Lane Kiffin.
In LSU’s 51-10 blowout of Clemson, Wisconsin transfer Dillon Jones showed why Kiffin named him the starting running back, rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Jones averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his LSU debut.
LSU’s top two returning running backs, Harlem Berry and Caden Durham, saw limited action in the second half after the game was already decided.
Kiffin said Jones’ performance didn’t come as a surprise.
“Doesn’t matter what your stats were before, how many stars, or what you make,” Kiffin said. “Dillon wasn’t a big name coming in, had the least stats of some other people in the room from last year. We just go off of what we see, so glad he performed in front of everybody else the way he had been performing in front of us.”
Jones was just one part of an LSU rushing attack that produced 309 yards on the ground.
The Tigers finished with 644 total yards and converted 38 first downs, setting an LSU single-game record. LSU also threw for 335 yards, giving Kiffin’s offense a balance that Clemson struggled to contain.
The performance was particularly encouraging for an offensive line that struggled to create running room last season.
But Kiffin isn't ready to declare the group a finished product.
“We had over 300 yards rushing and we had no sacks, but at the same time Sam (Leavitt) got us out of the trouble a couple of times, so you got to be careful with that stat thinking we played great up there,” Kiffin said. “So, did some really good things, but we got to improve. We got to play better at the guard spot if we are going to improve and play really consistent.”
Bo Bordelon and Aliou Bah started at the two guard spots against Clemson. Kiffin did not elaborate on whether one performed better than the other.
The Tigers did get an impressive performance from new starting left tackle Jordan Seaton, who was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
Pro Football Focus gave Seaton a 78.8 grade for his performance against Clemson, including an 88.2 grade in pass protection. He did not allow a single pressure against the Tigers.
LSU won’t have to wait long to see if the offense can maintain its momentum.
The Tigers return to Tiger Stadium Saturday to host Louisiana Tech, and Kiffin is hoping the atmosphere is every bit as electric as it was for the Clemson opener.
“Don’t let the opponent dictate how you are a fan,” Kiffin said. “We challenged our players to do that, so the fans too. If you got to have a mock Saturday, put up stages of College GameDay here, whatever it is, come out here early, start drinking at 7 AM, whatever you did last week, do it again.”
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
