SEC Awards LSU RB Leonard Fournette Offensive Player of the Week

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The SEC welcomed back Leonard Fournette with Offensive Player of the Week honors after the talented junior rushed for 284 yards with three touchdowns against Ole Miss.

Fournette, a pre-season All-American, missed two consecutive games due to an ankle injury but came back in style breaking a single-game school record for rushing yards topping Alley Broussard’s 250 yard mark set in 2004 also against Ole Miss. The 6-1, 235 pound, back was impressive throughout the game scoring from 59, 76, and 78 yards averaging another school record 17.8 yards per carry helping the Tigers top the Rebels 38-21.

The All-SEC back could have racked up more yards if needed carrying the ball just 16 times in the game covering 171 of his yards on the ground in the first half.

Season statistical numbers are down for Fournette after missing three games so far this season, but he has amassed 670 yards on 83 carries with five touchdowns on the ground sporting an 8.1 yard per carry average. Showing his all-purpose abilities, the junior also has 12 receptions for 94 yards this season. Over the four games played this season, Fournette is now sixth in the SEC in rushing yards just 185 yards behind Vanderbilt’s junior tailback Ralph Webb with 855 yards in eight games played.

Gauging the importance of Fournette racking up yards on the ground for LSU? The Tigers are 5-0 in games where he tops the 200-yard rushing mark and 15-4 with 100-yards or more.

Fournette has now been awarded the SEC Offensive Player of the Week seven times in his three seasons with LSU.

Photo credit: LSUReveille.com; No. 7 Leonard Fournette vs. Ole Miss 2016.