Why Leonard Fournette isn’t playing vs. Jacksonville State

Leonard Fournette will be held out of the LSU Tigers’ home opener versus the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Saturday night. Why isn’t Fournette playing?

According to Bryan Lazare of TigerBait.com, LSU Tigers star junior running back will not play on Saturday against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. This is LSU’s home opener, so why isn’t the Tigers’ best offensive player going to suit up?

Fournette is reportedly dealing with a bruised ankle he sustained in the Tigers’ Week 1 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, 16-14. LSU is choosing to hold Fournette as a precaution before its SEC opener versus the Mississippi State Bulldogs next weekend.

LSU head coach Les Miles would not indicate if Fournette practiced in the week leading up to the home opener at Tigers Stadium versus Jacksonville State. Fournette was the only offense LSU had against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field last Saturday. He rushed for 138 yards against a strong Wisconsin defensive front.

While LSU can probably handle Jacksonville State sans Fournette, this could prove problematic for the Tigers if quarterback Brandon Harris doesn’t play better. LSU cannot have its offense be so one-dimensional and still beat a good team.

Keep in mind that Jacksonville State forced overtime at Jordan-Hare Stadium against the Auburn Tigers early in the 2016 college football season. Auburn wasn’t buttoned up on offense last season, but the Tigers have done a better job in recent years moving the chains aerially than has LSU.

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Having a healthy Fournette for the Tigers’ SEC opener against Mississippi State is crucial for LSU. However, LSU is 0-1 on the year and a loss to Jacksonville State would likely mean the end of Miles’ tenure in Baton Rouge. It’ll be up to sophomore tailback Derris Guice to pound the rock for the Tigers against Jacksonville State on Saturday night in Death Valley.