Caden Durham: LSU running back crucial to South Alabama win | LSU

Two weeks ago, Caden Durham was a revelation for LSU's offense.

The true freshman running back was the spark that helped ignite the Tigers against South Carolina's physical and athletic defense. LSU was struggling to run the ball with veterans Josh Williams and Kaleb Jackson, so they turned to the former four-star recruit.

On Saturday against South Alabama, Durham was no longer a revelation; He was the centerpiece in LSU's 42-10 victory over the Jaguars at Tiger Stadium.

“He’s doing an incredible job,” redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier said. “Obviously he’s very explosive with the ball in his hands.

“I think the offensive line also did an incredible job of giving him the opportunity to have room to run. And when you give it space, good things happen.”

Durham had 128 yards on the ground, 89 yards receiving and two total touchdowns… in the first half. He found the end zone on the first snap of the game, caught Nussmeier's pass out of the flat and sprinted 71 yards to the end zone.

“I think we did a really good job of putting him in a position to be successful, right?” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “…I thought (offensive coordinator) Joe Sloan did a great job of calling in that situation to get him out (at the rim) because that's a play we haven't made before.”

It was the first time since 1982 that LSU scored on the first play from scrimmage. He nearly scored again on LSU's second snap, taking a handoff up the middle for 86 yards before being tackled at 1st.

“I don’t know if we thought we would start so quickly,” Nussmeier said.

LSU scored on the next play and eventually took a 35-3 halftime lead. It finished the half with 429 yards, the most it had accumulated in a half since the first half of the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal against Oklahoma.

The Tigers finished the game with 667 total yards, but Durham did not increase their total in the second half. A foot injury late in the first half sent him to the locker room early. At the start of the second half, Durham returned to the sideline with his pads still on, but never re-entered the game.

“We don’t see this as a serious injury,” Kelly said.

Suddenly, Durham has become an important component for LSU as it prepares to take on the brunt of its Southeastern Conference schedule.

The passing attack was the strength of the LSU offense. Nothing changed on Saturday despite two interceptions by Nussmeier. He had 409 passing yards and four total touchdowns, as five different players had at least three receptions.

LSU was looking for a consistent rushing attack to complement its explosive passing game. Against Southern Cal and Nicholls State, the Tigers didn't have that balance.

Durham's vision and speed against South Carolina after the Nicholls win provided LSU with the balance it needed on offense. His 98-yard rush helped keep drives alive as the Tigers rallied from a 17-0 deficit in the first half to beat the Gamecocks.

Durham has 244 yards rushing and 130 yards receiving, although he didn't play in the Tigers' season opener. With Ole Miss coming to Tiger Stadium in two weeks, they need him to get some rest.

For LSU to keep up with the Rebels' dangerous offense, a balanced attack is necessary.

“(Durham is) really smart. He understands the game,” said Nussmeier. “And he has great vision, great speed and great explosive power.”