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Marler Monday: My one wish for LSU Saturday

Nov 10, 2025 | 2:26 PM

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

By Chris Marler

This isn’t where I hoped to be in November, and I’m sure the fans, the team, and everyone else feel the same way.

And no, I don’t mean the 41-degree mornings (though, those are rough). I mean LSU sitting at 5-4. That sucks way more.

I moved here from Atlanta a few months ago with my fiancée, she’s an Auburn fan, so believe me, it could be worse. We love Baton Rouge. But even as someone who didn’t grow up in a house full of purple and gold or attend LSU, I came in with high expectations. And clearly, those expectations haven’t been met this season.

But, I still need something. And, I need it before Mardi Gras, crawfish, or whatever other fun season that’s going to make me gain 10-15 pounds. 

I need to see Harlem Berry get 20 touches on Saturday. 

I need it. And, so does this offense, quite frankly.

The former five star, who got off to a slow start this season, has been one of the few bright spots of the LSU offense over the last few games. Before the Vanderbilt game, he hadn’t logged more than seven carries in any outing. In fact, outside of the Louisiana Tech game, he’d failed to top 30 rushing yards all season.

Since the Tigers trip to Nashville, he has led the team in carries each week. In those three games he totaled 32 carries for 180 yards. That’s 5.6 yards per carry. No one else on the team has been close to that. 

I get the situational aspect of some of those games where you might not feel like running the ball was going to keep you in the game. Or, in the case of the debacle against Texas A&M, the game was out of reach. 

But, this week LSU will face the worst run defense in the conference. Arkansas allows 184.1 yards per game on the ground. That’s not only the worst in the conference, it’s the third worst mark in the SEC over the last four years combined. They’ve allowed at least 200 yards rushing in five of their six games and two or more rushing touchdowns in seven of their last eight. 

Give Berry the ball, and give it to him often. It’s time to start building for next year, and that begins with showing a former five-star, in-state kid that he can thrive in this stadium, in this program, starting this weekend.

Chris Marler

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