Such is the case for Joseph Addai.
You might have forgotten Joseph Addai, the guy who was supposed to carry LSU’s
rushing attack in 2003. But it didn’t happen.
Last year, as LSU marched to a
national championship, Addai became the lost member of the Tigers’ backfield.
Remember it was Addai who got hurt and opened the door for freshmen Justin Vincent, Alley Broussard and Barrington Edwards to lead the way to the promised
land.
Now a guy whose last name
(honestly, I looked this up on various websites) has Hebrew origins that claims
it means “Man of God,” carried LSU on his back to the winning
touchdown.
Sure, senior quarterback Marcus Randall did his part. For starters, if you watched the game on ESPN and stuck
around for coach Nick Saban’s postgame on-field interview you’re probably as
confused as Randall. Saban said Randall is great coming off the bench and that’s
why they started JaMarcus Russell. Perhaps, but wasn’t Randall the QB when LSU
marched to a game-opening score against Auburn?
Whatever.
Anyway, LSU needed something good
to happen on offense when it took over on the 50 with 2:06 left in the game. No
one stepped up bigger than Addai, who ran for 16 yards on first down.
Randall hit Craig Davis for 7 more
on the next play. Then Addai, a junior from Houston, ran for 12 more.
Then Addai ran for 6 more to the
Florida 9.
After Randall lost a yard, LSU called time with 33 seconds left.
The season was hanging in the
balance. Take the lead and hang in the hunt for a really nice bowl trip. Fail to
score a TD and, well, make bowl reservations for Shreveport or Nashville.
Randall, whose poise and throwing
accuracy were remarkable all game, hit Addai for the 10-yard TD. After Ryan Gaudet hit his third extra point in as many tries – no, that’s not a misprint –
LSU had a 24-21 lead, the Gator Chomp was silenced and the Tigers stood at 4-2
overall.
Addai finished with 93 yards on 10
carries, meaning he gained 34 on the last drive alone.
Now LSU has an off week. Talk about
a team that deserves one. And let’s face it: After the Oregon State performance,
lack of offense at Auburn and the
Georgia butt-kicking, the Tigers are
in a pretty good place right now.
With Auburn at 3-0 in the league and LSU now 2-2,
the Southeastern Conference Western Division title is out of reach.
But the Tigers are relatively
injury free. Addai is back. Randall – his TD pass to Early Doucet in the second
quarter the finest LSU throw in a long time – hopefully will keep the starting
QB job. The offensive line has appeared to have woken up. The defense, the
Georgia game aside, is solid. And
Gaudet – gasp! – seems to finally have this extra-point thing down.
Six hard weeks down, a much-needed
off week ahead. Then games with Troy State and Vanderbilt. Troy’s pretty good, but LSU should win both and be sitting
at 6-2 for the stretch run, games with Alabama,
Ole Miss and Arkansas.
Saban actually smiled quite a bit
in that postgame interview. He ought to be happy. His team rallied from two TDs
down. He may have finally found a quarterback. And Joseph Addai is back and any
coach will tell you there’s nothing better than finding a long-lost go-to
running back and letting him carry the load.
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Lee
Feinswog is the author of “Tales From The LSU Sidelines,” a
Baton Rouge
sportswriter and host of the television show Sports Monday. Reach him at (225)
926-3256 or lee@sportsbatonrouge.com.