Fournette, Pocic Earn SEC Weekly Honors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – LSU junior running back Leonard Fournette was named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week, while senior center Ethan Pocic was named the SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week the league announced Monday morning, two days after LSU’s 38-21 win over Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium.
Fournette is the sixth player to earn one of the league’s weekly awards, joining teammates Tre’Davious White, Arden Key, Josh Growden and Derrius Guice who all earned awards earlier this year, while Pocic is earning one of the league’s weekly top honors for the second time this season. It’s the fourth time Fournette has earned offensive player of the week honors and the seventh time he’s been honored by the conference in his career.
After missing the previous two games, Fournette made his return to the field last Saturday in a big way as the St. Augustine product rushed for 284 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries in the 38-21 win over the Rebels in Tiger Stadium, breaking Alley Broussard’s 2004 record of 250 which was also set against Ole Miss.
He scored on runs of 59, 76 and 78 yards, averaging a school-record 17.8 yards per carry as the total yardage is now tied for 10th all-time in the SEC, while the yards per carry is second all-time within the conference. He had 171 of those yards in the first half alone as LSU has had a 100-yard rusher in each of the last 10 games.
Fournette took sole place of first all-time at LSU with his fifth 200-yard rushing game of his career on Saturday, passing Kevin Faulk who had a 200-yard game in each of his four seasons at LSU and Fournette having four in 2015 alone. LSU also moved to 15-4 when Fournette reaches the 100-yard mark in a game, and 5-0 when he reaches 200.
Pocic graded out at a career-best 97 percent on the line as the Tigers produced 515 total yards of offense, while along with Fournette the Tiger running backs accounted for 311 yards and four touchdowns.
The Lemont, Illinois, native played every snap of LSU’s win over the weekend, earning 12 knockdown blocks as the LSU offense held possession of the ball for nearly 10 minutes in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
LSU is off this week, returning to the field next Saturday to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in Baton Rouge.