Before the first half was over last week, No. 8 Louisiana State (2-0, 2-0 Southeastern) running back Leonard Fournette had 169 yards, including a 71-yard run and a 40-yard run, a touchdown and was responsible for putting Auburn in a 24-0 hole.

Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) will get all of Fournette’s 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame on Saturday at noon in the Carrier Dome.

“In my 26 years, I think this kid is the most talented tailback I’ve gone against,” SU head coach Scott Shafer said. “He’s special.”

Shafer had high praise for the running back, who is a Heisman Trophy hopeful. This season, he’s racked up 387 yards and six touchdowns — only four less than he had in all 13 games last season — on 47 carries in two games against Mississippi State and Auburn. Coming into college, Fournette was ranked by most recruiting sites as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2014 and had 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman last season.

“You’ve got unbelievable vision and his physicality is … I mean remember Earl Campbell?” Shafer said. “He’s a great player, we’ll have our hands full.”

Campbell, who led the NFL in rushing in his first three seasons in the late 1970s and early 1980s, ran for 4,443 yards in his college career. Shafer also compared LSU as a team to the 2013 Florida State team, which won a national championship with Jameis Winston at the helm and romped SU, 59-3.

Shafer marveled at LSU’s offensive line, too. He said the Tigers are big up front, but what impresses him the most is the offensive linemen aren’t “stiff.”

“He’s 6-1, 230, but he moves like he’s 5-9,” Shafer said of Fournette. “He moves like Brisly Estime and then with that power behind it.”

Published on September 22, 2015 at 12:48 pm

Contact Chris: cjlibona@syr.edu | @ChrisLibonati