LSU Football Can Use McNeese to Get Its Running Game Back on Track

With LSU coming off its most impressive passing performance of the season, the Tigers now have an opportunity to get another part of the offense moving in the right direction.

Saturday's matchup with McNeese State gives Lane Kiffin and LSU a chance to put more emphasis on the rushing attack before the Tigers return to SEC play.

That does not mean LSU needs to abandon what worked against Texas A&M. Sam Leavitt threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns in LSU's 35-6 win over the Aggies, while Jackson Harris and Winston Watkins Jr. both topped 100 receiving yards.

The passing game has clearly become one of the strengths of this LSU offense.

The running game, however, still has room to develop.

LSU Needs to Get Its Running Game Going

LSU running back Stacy Gage takes a handoff — Sep 19, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) hands the ball off to running back Stacy Gage (23) during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LSU showed what the rushing attack can look like earlier this season.

In the season opener against Clemson, the Tigers ran for 309 yards on 58 attempts. Sam Leavitt and Dilin Jones both finished with 113 rushing yards, marking the first time since 2023 that LSU had two 100-yard rushers in the same game. That performance gave LSU a glimpse of what its offense could become.

Since then, the rushing production has not been as consistent.

Jones has remained an important part of the offense, rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries against Ole Miss. He enters the McNeese game with a clear role in the offense after transferring to LSU from Wisconsin, where he rushed for 300 yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries in seven starts during the 2025 season.

But LSU has more than one capable option in the backfield.

Harlem Berry and Caden Durham entered the season as one of the Tigers' most intriguing running back combinations. Berry rushed for 491 yards on 104 carries as a freshman in 2025, while Durham led LSU with 753 rushing yards as a freshman before adding 505 yards as a sophomore.

That gives Kiffin plenty of options.

The question is how those pieces fit together.

McNeese Gives LSU an Opportunity

LSU running back Harlem Berry takes a handoff — Sep 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Husan Longstreet (8) hands off to running back Harlem Berry (22) against Clemson Tigers during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although McNeese will not provide the same level of competition LSU will face once SEC play resumes, that is exactly what makes Saturday useful.

LSU can use the game to establish which backs are getting the majority of the carries, determine which concepts are working best and give the offensive line an opportunity to build consistency in the run game.

There is value in figuring those things out before the games become more difficult.

LSU's schedule gets significantly more demanding after McNeese. The Tigers travel to Kentucky on Oct. 10 before facing Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas later in the season.

That means Saturday should be about more than simply adding another win.

It should be about making sure LSU enters the next stretch of the schedule with a clearer identity.

The Tigers already know they can win games through the passing game. They now need to make sure the rushing attack becomes a dependable part of the offense rather than something LSU has to manufacture on a weekly basis.

Lane Kiffin Has to Establish His Running Back Rotation

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin — Sep 19, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest question entering the McNeese game may be how Kiffin handles the running back rotation.

Jones has already shown that he can handle a significant workload. Berry has proven that he can be productive when given opportunities, while Durham brings experience from two seasons in the LSU offense.

There is no reason LSU needs to settle every question in one night.

But this is an opportunity to give those players meaningful work while also getting the rushing concepts ready for the next phase of the schedule.

The Tigers do not need to prove they can run for 300 yards every week. They simply need to become more consistent with the run game and establish which players and concepts they trust when SEC defenses start making LSU earn every yard.

McNeese gives Kiffin the opportunity to do exactly that.

For now, LSU has a passing attack that is gaining confidence and a defense that has already shown it can control games. The next step is getting the rushing game back on schedule.

If the Tigers can do that Saturday, they could enter the next stretch of SEC play with a more complete offense.

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