OTHER PICKS
Louisville 48, Duke 19Memphis 42, Tulane 35Ohio State 35, Wisconsin 16Clemson 33, N.C. State 14Oklahoma 26, Kansas State 23Pittsburgh 27, Virginia 22Western Kentucky 29, MTSU 27FSU 45, Wake Forest 26Baylor 48, Kansas 24Nebraska 24, Indiana 17Miami 31, North Carolina 30Virginia Tech 30, Syracuse 21Utah 35, Oregon State 20Houston 49, Tulane 18Boise St. 34, Colorado St. 19Notre Dame 31, Stanford 24Texas 49, Iowa State 28Texas Tech 38, West Virginia 35
Whether it was the chaotic LSU-Auburn finish three weeks ago, Tennessee’s Hail Mary at Georgia two weeks ago or last Saturday’s Tennessee-Texas A&M wild ride that entertained viewers for nearly five hours, Southeastern Conference football has provided its share of thrills during the first half of the season.
If only the league’s most dynamic player could return.
LSU running back Leonard Fournette continues to be bothered by the ankle injury he suffered late in the Sept. 24 game at Auburn and is not likely to play Saturday against Southern Miss, interim Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said Wednesday. Fournette has played in just three games this season and has rushed for 386 yards, which ranks 13th in the league.
His average of 128.7 yards per game leads the SEC.
“He’s a team player, and I remember after the Auburn game last year, we gave him the MVP, and he wouldn’t take it,” Orgeron said. “He gave it to his offensive line and his fullback. He’s a tremendous team leader and is around us every day, and I know he wants to play.
“When he’s healthy, I fully expect him to have a great rest of the season.”
Orgeron admitted he thought Fournette would be healthy enough to play the week after the Auburn game but quickly added he is not about to rush him back.
Fournette came within 13 yards of amassing 3,000 yards during his first two seasons in Baton Rouge – when LSU’s quarterback play was mediocre at best – and his school-record total of 1,953 yards last year was set despite the opener against McNeese State getting scratched due to lightning. His average of 162.8 rushing yards a game last season was 15 yards higher than that of Alabama’s Derrick Henry, who won the Heisman Trophy.
SEC fans had long debated the conference’s best running back since Georgia’s Herschel Walker and Auburn’s Bo Jackson ravaged the league in the early 1980s. Darren McFadden of Arkansas was a really good candidate, but then along came Fournette.
Fournette has been the best since Herschel and Bo. We just want to see more of him.
Pasquali’s Pix:
Mississippi State at BYU: The Bulldogs seem to be playing everywhere this season. They just don’t seem to be winning anywhere. Cougars 33, Bullies 20.
Vanderbilt at Georgia: The Commodores have reached the midway mark of Derek Mason’s three seasons at 1-5, 2-4 and 2-4. Bulldogs 27, Commodores 10.
UTC at The Citadel: These are the two best teams in the Southern Conference and the two best locales. Mocs 28, Bulldogs 21.
Georgia Southern at Georgia Tech: Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson is such a fan of this matchup he said it should take place “once about every 30 years.” Jackets 24, Eagles 20.
Alabama at Tennessee: The Crimson Tide are seeking a 10th straight victory over the Volunteers and a fifth consecutive double-digit win inside Neyland Stadium. Crimson Tide 38, Volunteers 21.
Missouri at Florida: Saturday’s forecast in Gainesville is 82 degrees with a 20 percent chance of rain, so it looks like this thing is happening. Gators 26, Tigers 17.
Ole Miss at Arkansas: These two teams played the most exciting game of the 2015 season. Rebels 35, Razorbacks 24.
Southern Miss at LSU: It sure seems like Coach O has been 1-0 for a long time in his interim role. Tigers 41, Golden Eagles 24.
Last week:
Winners19
Sankeys..5
Pasquali is now 122-27 overall (81.9 percent) this season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.