So much inside the LSU football program has changed since Halloween. One of the biggest moving forward is going to have to be the running game.
LSU ranked dead last in the SEC on the ground in each of the last two seasons. That’s one of the main reasons a new staff has taken control of the program.
Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. have committed to running the ball. Kiffin brought in Eric Wolford and James Cregg to coach the offensive line. Their first job is paving the way on the ground.
“I can’t imagine there’s a better pair in the country,” Kiffin said of Wolford and Cregg. “You know, you get two big time SEC line coaches together here and one with great history obviously at the program here and the national championship and the Joe Moore award and both have coached in the NFL. So, we’re very fortunate to have that. It’s really easy to recruit to and they’re really good technique coaches.”
At practice the offensive line splits in half each period. Cregg works with one. Wolford works with the other. They’re preaching the same message.
The projected starting unit features a lot of college experience. That experience has not been together. Jordan Seaton comes from Colorado. Aliou Bah comes from Maryland, and Bo Bordelon only has one start to his name in four years of college football.
The spring and summer have been time for them to come together as a unit.
“It was a big adjustment for them,” Kiffin said. “The spring took a while for that, and they’re doing really well. We got ways to go in the pass game, but I thought in the run game we’ve done a really good job of playing together as a unit.”
Seaton has dropped significant weight since his time in Colorado, more than 20 pounds. Still, he’s focusing on building muscle and working to improve in his run blocking. The mammoth tackle is considered an elite pass blocker. His work in the running game has always been secondary.
That’s changing at LSU.
“I think that’s a big emphasis this year being able to run the ball,” Seaton said. “I wasn’t the best at that. And I think that’s an area where I have to attack, and that’s where we’re attacking within the weight room. Getting my legs stronger, getting my squat stronger, being able to be explosive on my stance. I think we’re finding everything that we’re probably not the best at and attacking that to be better at.”
Last season, the Kiffin-Weis offense allowed Kewan Lacy to finish second in the country in rushing touchdowns and ninth in rushing yards per game. He carried the ball over 20 times per game.
LSU is likely to lean on a trio of backs this year in Dilin Jones, Caden Durham and Harlem Berry.
“I think that running the ball is very critical,” Kiffin said. “Each year is different based off of your team, your situation, the personnel that you have. Anytime in a first year, I think it’s important that your team has a physicality up front. We’ve tried to recruit to that. We’re not to where we will be someday. but that’s important.”
