BATON ROUGE, La. -- Welcome to Heisman Trophy-front-runner status, Leonard Fournette.
If LSU’s sophomore running back isn’t Heisman voters’ top candidate for the award right now, clearly they weren’t watching Fournette obliterate No. 18 Auburn’s defense in Saturday’s 45-21 romp.
Fournette repeatedly ran over, around and through Auburn defenders, posting the first 200-yard game by an LSU back since Jeremy Hill against Iowa in the 2013 Outback Bowl. Fournette finished with a career-high 228 yards and three TDs on 19 carries (an average of 12 yards per carry).
And Fournette’s teammates on defense were nearly as effective, controlling an Auburn offense that continues to struggle with quarterback Jeremy Johnson at the helm.
Let’s take a closer look at No. 13 LSU’s big win:
What the win means for LSU: Fournette has had big games before -- this was actually his fourth straight game with at least 140 rushing yards -- but never anything like this. He was the driving force behind an LSU offense that outgained Auburn 491 yards to 260. Aside from a 65-yard Johnson touchdown run to open the second half, LSU’s defense mostly had its way throughout the afternoon. Auburn had only 70 total yards at halftime.
What the loss means for Auburn: There’s no polite way to put it: At no point was this a competitive game. Will Muschamp’s defense surrendered four touchdowns and a field goal on LSU’s first six possessions, and Johnson remains a complete disaster at quarterback. He lost a fumble near his own goal line, threw one interception and another pass that likely would have been a pick-six if LSU safety Jamal Adams hadn’t dropped it. Entering next Saturday’s game against Mississippi State, Auburn has multiple major problems to solve and little time to do it.
The game turned when: Talk about setting a tone, Fournette broke a 71-yard run on the very first play from scrimmage. Credit Auburn defensive back Jonathan Jones for chasing down the speedy Fournette and making LSU earn the touchdown -- which came on a 2-yard Brandon Harris option keeper three plays later.
Top play: Take your pick of Fournette touchdown runs. Do you like his 40-yard run in the second quarter on which he flattened Auburn defensive back Blake Countess in the open field on the way to the end zone? Or how about his 29-yard scoring run in the third quarter, featuring multiple ankle-breaking cutbacks and a collision in which Auburn safety Tray Matthews literally flew over Fournette’s shoulders? Both runs will get their share of airplay on the highlight shows.