Playing complimentary football has been a point of emphasis for Brian Kelly this season. Unfortunately, it hasn't been a reality for most of the season for the Tigers. The running game hasn't been able to get going on a consistent basis, which has put Garrett Nussmeier and the passing game in a tough spot.
The good news is that the Tigers are coming off their best rushing performance of the season. LSU ran for a season-high 166 yards and 5.5 yards per carry en route to a 20-10 win over South Carolina in Week 7. Caden Durham paced the Tigers with 70 yards on a team-high 15 rushing attempts. Ju'Juan Johnson also added 66 yards on just five carries with a long of 56.
Key rushing stat that could make the difference against Vanderbilt
Getting Durham and the running game rolling will be another key to victory for LSU against Vanderbilt in Week 8. Under Brian Kelly, LSU is 25-5 when a tailback carries the ball at least 10 times. Conversely, the Tigers are 9-7 under Kelly when a running back fails to get at least 10 rushing attempts.
In LSU's lone loss this season to Ole Miss, Durham was sidelined with an injury. The running game struggled mightily in his absence. The leading rusher on the day was freshman Harlem Berry, who ran for 22 yards on seven carries. The Tiger running game as a whole managed just 57 yards on 22 carries, which evened out to a measly 2.6 yards per carry. Needless to say, it led to an ugly result.
Durham made a strong return to the field last week, and the offensive line was much better in run blocking in front of him. Pass blocking hasn't been a cause for concern, but run blocking has been a problem for the Tigers. After several injuries and shuffling around personnel up front, things seemed to get back on track against South Carolina.
The Tigers are looking to continue that momentum into Saturday's matchup against Vanderbilt, who ranks 5th in the SEC allowing 90.7 rushing yards per game. If Durham exceeds 10 rushes and can pick up chunks of yards on a consistent basis, it would do wonders for LSU's path to victory on the road against the Commodores.
From the Coach Kelly show on @LSUradio:
— Dandy Don's LSU Sports (@dandydonlsu) October 17, 2025
Under Brian kelly, LSU is 25-5 when a tailback carries the ball 10 times or more, versus 9-7 when he does not. “You have to have a running game that allows you to have success in the passing game.”