Auburn gets another SEC test on Saturday, and this one comes with a defense that has been hard to move all season. No.
17 LSU brings a unit that sits at the top of the conference in yards allowed per game at 256 and rushing yards allowed per game at 88. The Tigers are also No. 2 in the SEC in points allowed per game at 14.7 and sacks with 27.
Auburn head coach Alex Golesh laid out just how difficult that matchup looks during Monday’s press conference.
"Up front, (LSU's) edges are real and create a ton. Second level is really, really good.
With seven (Whit Weeks) out, there's depth there, and then these corners can roll. They're big, physical, and run," Golesh said of LSU during Monday's press conference.
"It's a really, really good football team that we're preparing for. We're fortunate to be playing at home."
That challenge leaves Auburn needing a clean offensive plan, and there are three obvious places where the Tigers can tilt the game in their favor.
The first job belongs to Auburn’s offensive line, which has to keep Byrum Brown upright. This is the third straight week Auburn has drawn a defense ranked in the SEC’s top three in sacks, and the Tigers are 1-1 in the previous two. LSU’s 27 sacks trail only Tennessee in the league, so Auburn’s front has to handle pressure if Brown is going to operate and create chances for the offense.
From there, Auburn’s pass catchers need to finish the job. If the line gives Brown time and he delivers the football on target, LSU has shown it can be vulnerable through the air.
In LSU’s two losses, the defense gave up 363 passing yards to Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and 246 to Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey. In LSU’s five wins, opponents have been held to no more than 129 passing yards.
Auburn’s group of Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod, Jeremiah Koger, Jake Johnson, and Arlis Boardingham would give the offense a major boost if they can combine for 200 receiving yards.
The run game is the final piece, and Auburn has reason to lean into it. The Tigers outrushed Georgia last week, and that helped turn the game their way.
Brown’s designed runs have become a bigger part of the offense over the past several weeks, and he has topped 100 rushing yards in back-to-back games. If he makes it three in a row, and Jeremiah Cobb and Omar Mabson add solid production, Auburn’s offense becomes much tougher to slow down.
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Auburns First Alabama Test Already Put One Tigers Role In Focus
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For Auburn, the bigger takeaway was less about the scoreboard and more about how one role is starting to take shape against real competition. Early in the preseason, those minutes matter, especially in a matchup where every possession gets a little more attention than usual. The Tigers got an immediate read on one players place in the rotation, and that kind of clarity can be just as valuable in October as any final result. [Read more 🡒]
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For Auburn, the more interesting part may have been the response. The Tigers came out with noticeably more energy and played better in the first half after the incident, a sign that the emotional temperature of the game seemed to suit them. In a matchup that was supposed to be about getting work in before the games start to count, Auburn at least left with a reminder of the intensity this rivalry can produce. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Georgia Shocker Means Nothing If LSU Exposes This Next
Auburns upset of No. 1 Georgia bought the Tigers a fresh dose of belief, but it does not change what comes next. Hosting No. 18 LSU with both teams sitting at 2-2 in conference play, Auburn gets another chance to turn one signature win into real momentum, and the setup is a far different kind of test than the one it passed last week.
LSU arrives with an offense that can make a night uncomfortable in a hurry, especially with tight end TreyDez Green expected back in the mix and quarterback Sam Leavitt coming off a strong showing. The Tigers are still carrying the edge of home-field advantage and the confidence from the Georgia shocker, but if Auburn cannot handle what LSU brings on offense, that victory over the Bulldogs will fade fast in the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]