NO. 24 LSU AT NO. 25 ARKANSAS

Focused on Fournette: Hogs look to keep Tigers’ RB in check again

LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7) is tackled by Arkansas defensive back Jared Collins (29) and defensive back Rohan Gaines in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

FAYETTEVILLE -- LSU tailback Leonard Fournette has gained less than 100 rushing yards only four times in his last 20 games.

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Half of those sub-100-yard games have come against Alabama's staunch defense. The other half have come against Arkansas.

Fournette gained a career-low 9 yards on the Razorbacks on a cold, wet night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in 2014 as Arkansas broke its 17-game SEC losing streak with a 17-0 victory over the Tigers.

During Arkansas' 31-14 victory at Tiger Stadium last year, Fournette ran 19 times for 91 yards, with a touchdown.

Fournette's 100 combined yards against Arkansas was his lowest total among the seven teams LSU had played twice prior to the Tigers' 10-0 loss to Alabama last week.

"First, probably a little bit of luck, but I would say our guys have been wired in," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said of the Razorbacks' success against Fournette. "We might have had the good fortune of playing them later in the year."

Arkansas has outgained the Tigers 394-95 on the ground in the last two meetings.

"These last couple years against LSU, we've been playing fast and penetrating, stopping their run," Arkansas defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. said. "This year our goal is to stop the run, fly around and have fun."

As for limiting Fournette, Wise said, "We've just pretty much stopped his forward progress and made him go sideways. If we can keep on penetrating the line of scrimmage and stopping his forward process, then we'll have done our job."

Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said every game is an independent event, and that Fournette and sophomore Derrius Guice who has rushed for 629 yards and seven touchdowns and leads the SEC with 7.9 yards per carry, are dangerous every time out.

"Certainly our guys have had some ups, but [Fournette] had some good runs against us last year there too," Smith said. "Fournette, he broke a few tackles. And I think they have two excellent running backs."

Fournette's top run against Arkansas was 4 yards in the 2014 game and 13 yards last season.

"I think the challenge of playing against a guy like that, it gets you excited, because you know if you don't play well he can really hurt you and embarrass you," Arkansas linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves said.

Arkansas will be playing Tigers after a LSU loss to Alabama for the third consecutive season. Fournette rushed for 79 yards against the Crimson Tide in 2014, 31 yards last season and 35 yards on Saturday.

LSU Coach Ed Orgeron said he expects Fournette to play well against the Hogs.

"I expect him to come back with a great attitude," Orgeron said. "I expect him to shake it off and have a very good game against Arkansas and finish strong."

The Tigers have been criticized for not having a better passing game to rely on the last couple of years, one of the factors that led to the firing of Coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron after LSU's 18-13 loss at Auburn on Sept. 24.

Transfer quarterback Danny Etling, who originally signed with Purdue, has started the last six games after taking over for Brandon Harris. The Tigers have been more aggressive attacking downfield to receivers like Malachi Dupre, DJ Chark and Travin Dural under new play-caller Steve Ensminger.

"It's coming down the field. Every run play that they do, there's a play-action that's going to come off of it," Arkansas secondary coach Paul Rhoads said. "They're going to throw it 50 yards down the field and 5 yards in the flat. Their pass game does a nice job of keeping defenses off-balance.

"When they've got the running game like they do and backs like they do, you tend to be wanting to play downhill. And it's hard to defend a vertical play-action pass game when you're coming downhill in the other direction."

Etling is completing 58.5 percent of his passes, with 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The Alabama defense sacked him five times, harassed him on numerous other plays and got him off rhythm.

"Obviously, there's some things we need to fix in protection," Orgeron said. "Obviously, there's receivers that were open, and we didn't get the ball to them; sometimes under pressure, sometimes not."

Bielema has known Etling since he was a four-star prospect from Terre Haute, Ind., for the 2013 signing class. Bielema recruited him at Wisconsin and then got a visit from Etling as he was researching his transfer options last year.

"He's everything that you guys see, as a tremendous arm talent, one of those guys who has probably been a quarterback since birth," Bielema said. "He just has a really, really good football IQ."

Sports on 11/10/2016