Florida at LSU: Three Storylines to Watch

Oct 10, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs for an 87-yard touchdown during the third quarter of a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Leonard Fournette’s Toughest Test of the Season

LSU running back Leonard Fournette has been the best player in college football over the first six weeks of the 2015 season, and is the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after exploding for 1,022 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in only five games – both of which lead the nation.

Fournette became the faster Tiger in history to gain more than 1,000 yards in a season (which also made him the fastest SEC history), the quickest LSU player to surpass 2,000 yards in his career (needing only 18 games, and beating Jeremy Hill’s previous record by five contests), and has passed the century mark in rushing yards in seven consecutive games, which is second on the school’s all-time list.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound New Orleans native possesses a unique combination of power and speed that has helped him average an incredible 8.2 yards per carry this season. Fournette has ripped off at least one run of 25 yards or more in all five games this season, including four straight contests with a run of 62 yards or more, and rumbled 87 yards on the second play of the second half last week against South Carolina.

Simply put, Fournette is amazing. But, he’s yet to face a defense this season that is as tough as Florida’s.

The Gators have limited opponents to 99.2 rushing yards per game this season, which ranks No. 2 in the SEC behind Alabama and is  better than all but 11 FBS teams. Florida has allowed just 14.3 points per game this year, which is second best in the conference and ranks No. 11 in the nation. Plus, the Gators have held opponents to an average of 296.3 total yards per game thus far under new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins – which is actually an improvement of more than 30 yards over the 2014 unit led by former head coach Will Muschamp and current Michigan coordinator D.J. Durkin.

As hard as it is to imagine a team stopping Fournette, Florida has a unit capable of doing it.

Next: Brandon Harris vs. the Florida Secondary