Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GAME PREVIEW: LSU On PaPer BY DOUGLAS FARMER LSU RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE Despite losing 1,400‑yard rusher Jeremy Hill, LSU's strength this season has remained its rushing game. Led by freshman running back Leonard Fournette, the Tigers averaged 219.5 yards per game during the regular season to rank 29th in the country. Four‑ nette may gain only 74.2 yards per game, but he is one of three LSU ball carriers to average more than five yards per carry, led by senior Terrence Magee's 5.2. Fournette nearly doubled his average against both Florida and Texas A&M, leading the Tigers to victories in each game with 140 and 146 yards, re‑ spectively. His eight touchdowns also led LSU. The Tigers offensive line returned 75 starts, losing only second‑team All‑SEC right guard Trai Turner. Only senior left tackle La'el Collins and sophomore right tackle Jerald Hawkins have started all 12 games, but the line has remained intact the majority of the season. Notre Dame has successfully held some rushing attacks in check this season, such as limiting Stanford to 47 yards and Florida State to 50. Those successes disappeared into thin air when senior linebacker Joe Schmidt fractured and dislocated his ankle against Navy Nov. 1. Since then, the Irish have given up an average of 221.3 rushing yards in four games. Without Schmidt, even more of a burden lies on the shoulders of sophomore linebacker Jaylon Smith, who led Notre Dame with 103 tackles in the regular season. Advantage: LSU LSU PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Zach Mettenberger led LSU with 3,082 passing yards a year ago, but his departure to the NFL left the offense in the hands of Anthony Jennings. The sophomore struggled to 1,460 passing yards in the regular season on 104‑of‑213 passing, only a 48.8 percent completion rate. During some of Jennings' struggles, freshman Brandon Harris stepped in ad‑ mirably, throwing five touchdown passes against Mississippi State and New Mexico State in two Sep‑ tember contests. Sophomore wide receiver Travin Dural softened the pain of losing two 1,000‑yard receivers currently dazzling the NFL in Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Dural caught 37 passes for 758 yards (20.5 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns, lead‑ ing the Tigers in all those categories. No other LSU receiver managed more than 17 grabs or 317 yards, but freshman wideout Malachi Dupre did haul in five touchdown catches. Sophomore wide receiver Travin Dural emerged as the Tigers' top pass catcher in 2014, hauling in 37 receptions for 758 yards (20.5 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY LSU