Leonard Fournette Ties LSU Record with 9th Straight 100-Yard Game

Leonard Fournette continues to strengthen his case for the Heisman Trophy.

The LSU Tigers star running back eclipsed 100 yards for the ninth straight game Saturday against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, tying the school record that Charles Alexander set in 1978, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Fournette came into Saturday's tilt against the Hilltoppers with 1,202 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in only six games. If the No. 5 Tigers hadn't canceled their game against the McNeese State Cowboys in September because of lightning, there's no telling where Fournette's numbers would have been at this point.

The star sophomore had 119 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries with three minutes remaining in the third quarter against Western Kentucky.

If Fournette continues on the pace he's on now, he could eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in LSU's season finale against Texas A&M. He came into Saturday's matchup averaging more than 200 yards per game.

Even head coach Les Miles thinks Fournette has only begun to scratch the surface of his potential, per NFL.com's Chase Goodbread.

"I think he's just getting started," Miles said. "He has speed, but I think you'll find that he'll continue to develop."

Sports Illustrated college football analyst Zac Ellis took an in-depth look into Fournette's season and his chances of winning the Heisman:

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Only one running back—Alabama’s Mark Ingram (2009)—has won the Heisman in the last 15 years, but Fournette’s first-half performance has exceeded expectations for run-first Heisman contenders. The Tigers’ star ranks first nationally with 1,202 rushing yards, the eighth-most of any player through six games in FBS history. Fournette paces the country with a 200 yard-per-game average, sits tied with Houston’s Greg Ward Jr. for the national lead in rushing touchdowns (14) and averages 8.01 yards per carry.

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The Tigers will travel to Tuscaloosa in two weeks for a high-stakes showdown against Alabama. That may be the last test for Fournette and the Tigers before they can start wondering about College Football Playoff possibilities, assuming they can hold on against Western Kentucky.

It's unclear how far Fournette can carry LSU this year, but if he keeps producing at this level, it'll make things easier for quarterback Brandon Harris and the rest of the Tigers offense.