Edwards-Helaire's career-best day helps LSU rushing attack regain form
BATON ROUGE, La. — There was no panic in Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Saturday.
The sophomore running back has been a dangerous change-of-pace back behind Nick Brossette, one of LSU’s most compelling storylines a month into the season. Even though Brossette has emerged as the team’s workhorse, Edwards-Helaire waited, patiently, knowing his opportunity would come.
Edwards-Helaire scored his first touchdown in Tiger Stadium in LSU’s blanking of Southeastern in Week 2, but topped that with a career-best performance against Louisiana Tech in which he paced the team with 136 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns in a 38-21 victory. He had flashed signs of being able to churn out these sorts of nights during fall camp, but when offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger turned Edwards-Helaire loose the Catholic High product seized the opportunity.
“I’ve been waiting for that,” Coach Ed Orgeron said after the game. “I saw it in camp. He had a couple of injuries in game and Nick took the bull by the horns the first three games. I thought Clyde was right there with nick, step by step, and I was happy to see him run the way he did tonight.”
Physical — sure. That was made apparently evident by Edwards-Helaire’s team-leading 6.8 yards per carry against Tech.
It was finesse that helped Edwards-Helaire — affectionately nicknamed “Clyde The Glide” find the end zone midway through the second quarter to push the Tigers’ lead to 24.
“It was like a move off of Madden,” right tackle Austin Deculus said of Edwards-Helaire’s smooth juke to a Louisiana Tech defender for the score.
“Clyde has been working every day,” added center Lloyd Cushenberry. “These are the types of days that linemen love. There was a lot of running yards. We have to try and continue to do it.”
There were 218 to be exact.
Brossette added 78 yards and three touchdowns to go with his backfield mate, Edwards-Helaire, emerging as a formidable 1-2 punch ahead of the team’s SEC tilt with Ole Miss next Saturday in Death Valley.
The way that LSU’s leading rushers see it — those statistics are shared. Yes, Brossette is willing to share his three touchdowns to get a piece of Edwards-Helaire’s 136-yard day on the ground. The Baton Rouge duo comprised of University Lab and Catholic High alums came through when the offense needed to lean on its rushing attack.
“It’s something that LSU has always done,” Edwards-Helaire said. “It’s something that’s always worked for us. We’re that school. We have to be.”
Edwards-Helaire proved to be the dynamic runner that the Tigers needed to get past a dangerous Tech team that made it a 3-point contest early in the fourth quarter. The visitors from Ruston exploited LSU’s defense, putting the pressure on Joe Burrow and Co. to put points on the board in a hurry.
Tech scored 21 unanswered points before Brossette and Edwards-Helaire scored on consecutive drives to close out the game. That Baton Rouge duo broke a streak of four series in which LSU had either punted or turned the ball over between the second and third quarters and coughed up a double-digit lead.
While outsiders felt the Tigers’ backfield was a weakness in the 2018 season, the team’s running back tandem remains resolute to show otherwise.
“As far as confidence is concerned, doing something is key in football, so it makes me feel good but there’s more work to be done,” said Edwards-Helaire. “If we do what we have to do in the room, then the games are going to be won.”