Ad Disclosure
For the first week since the oddsmakers came out with their projections, LSU RB Leonard Fournette is not the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
Alabama and Derrick Henry took care of that Saturday. How will the Tigers’ star running back rebound from a 31-yard effort?
LSU heads home for a Saturday night matchup with an Arkansas offense that might be the hottest in the SEC with 170 points in the past three weeks.
These five will have to play well for the Tigers to shut down the Razorbacks:
1. RB Leonard Fournette: The most obvious choice in the world, but as he goes, the Tigers go. After rushing for nearly 170 yards less than his season average last week, all eyes will be on the former Heisman favorite to see how he gets back in the hunt.
2. S Jamal Adams: Henry’s monster effort wasn’t enough to win his fourth SEC Player of the Week Award for Week 10. That distinction went to Arkansas QB Brandon Allen, whose 33-for-45 performance for 442 yards and six touchdowns was apparently impossible for the analysts to ignore.
It’s up to Adams and Co., to slow it down.
LSU ranks third to last in the SEC with 13 passing touchdowns surrendered.
3. WR Travin Dural: One of the few offensive stars who actually showed up against Alabama is on a tear lately with 16 catches for 383 yards and three touchdowns in his past four games.
After totaling just 10 catches for 120 yards in his first four games, Dural’s strong play should continue against Arkansas.
4. DE Lewis Neal: The surprise standout of 2015 just hasn’t been the same player who got six sacks in three weeks to start October. LSU’s pass rush did its job against Alabama, recording six sacks, but Neal didn’t have any of them.
For a guy that may be looking to turn his breakout season into a draft pick in April, look for Neal to finish 2015 strong.
5. LB Deion Jones: As the only senior on this list, Jones may be its most important player. On a team that’s going to look long and hard at what went wrong on the run D last week, Jones will be a guy the younger players look to after a tough loss.
With 29 tackles and two sacks in the past three week it’s hard to fault the linebacker for not showing up.
LSU has a chance to prove Henry’s game was fluke, but it won’t be easy. Alex Collins (1,068 yards, 12 TDs) might be the most underappreciated back in the SEC.
