LSU is used to stellar rushing performances.
In the last 10 years, stars such as Joe Addai, LaBrandon Toefield and Charles Scott finished their careers at LSU with more than 2,000 rushing yards each.
That all seemed far away last season when the LSU rushing attack fell apart. No back rushed for 550 yards. The Tigers averaged only 122.8 yards per game on the ground. Injuries ended the year for LSU's top three tailbacks — Scott, Keiland Williams and Richard Murphy.
Scott and Williams have used up their eligibility. So a new group of backs will have to re-establish a productive rushing game.
There are five tailbacks on the roster — veterans Murphy and Stevan Ridley, redshirt freshman Michael Ford and true freshmen Alfred Blue and Spencer Ware.
Tigers coach Les Miles has not identified any depth chart involving the running backs after two weeks of preseason camp. But it certainly seems that Murphy and Ridley are at the head of the list. They're the only two backs who've carried the football in college.
"Everybody is trying to get a place in the rotation," said Ford, who rushed for nearly 3,000 yards in his senior season at Leesville (La.) High School. "We have to get back to LSU-style, hard-nosed running football. Hopefully, we'll have a good running game going into the season."
Murphy, a fifth-year senior, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game of the 2009 campaign against Vanderbilt. Murphy had two carries for ten yards. But Murphy has gone through rehabilitation and is ready to challenge for the role of starting tailback.
