Leonard Fournette could be in the midst of a Heisman Trophy-worthy season, and as of now, LSU head coach Les Miles has no plans to limit the running back’s touches.
According to ESPN, Miles knows the Tigers should rely on Fournette but realizes not every situation calls for a heavy dose of the sophomore.
“In certain situations, you have the opportunity to reduce his exposure. In other games, you want to give him every opportunity that he needs to get his carries.”
Miles continued, recognizing Fournette gives LSU its best chance to attain the ultimate goal of football: win.
“We wouldn’t want to wear him out before we get to some of the key contests in our season. But in the same vein, it’s also important that we win. The criteria is, who is the guy that should touch the ball the most to give us an opportunity to win the game.”
Fournette essentially carried the Tigers to a victory last weekend, obliterating the Auburn defense on the field and subsequently in the box score. Behind an outstanding performance from the offensive line, Fournette amassed 228 yards and three touchdowns on just 19 carries.
That terrific day followed a 159-yard, three-score outing against Mississippi State in the season opener.
Most impressively, he’s not accomplishing those gaudy stat lines against lower-level schools; rather, Fournette dominated a pair of vaunted SEC West opponents.
While Miles doesn’t want to exhaust Fournette before LSU’s schedule heats up in November, the 6-foot-1, 230-pounder shouldn’t need many touches before he personally puts the next few games out of reach anyway.