LSU walked into Auburn and left no doubt.
The No. 18 Tigers rolled to a 38-17 win over Auburn on Saturday, a result that landed with extra force because Auburn had just knocked off then-No.
1 Georgia a week earlier. Instead of a hangover spot, LSU turned the night into a statement and kept itself squarely in the SEC race.
That matters even more now with November closing in. LSU is 6-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, and the way it handled Auburn suggested this team is finding its best version at the right time. The conference picture is messy, and LSU has positioned itself as a team nobody in the league wants to see again if it gets to Atlanta.
The offense delivered the kind of pop that has been building for two weeks. Hawaii transfer wide receiver Jackson Harris was the biggest weapon on the field, finishing with nine catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns.
He opened the scoring for LSU with a 10-yard touchdown on the Tigers’ second drive, then broke the game wider open late in the first half with a 70-yard catch and run across the middle that put LSU ahead 24-10. Over his last four conference games, Harris has racked up 480 receiving yards.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt has also settled in after a shaky start to the season. He had thrown eight interceptions through the first six games, but over the last two weeks he’s been much sharper, piling up 676 passing yards with eight total touchdowns - seven through the air and one on the ground - without a turnover.
LSU got another boost from the return of tight end Trey'Dez Green, who had missed four games. He wasted no time making his presence felt. Five minutes into the second quarter, Green scored on a 3rd-and-6 red-zone snap, then finished the day second on the team with five catches for 50 yards.
Lane Kiffin also showed a different side of his game management. In LSU’s earlier loss at Kentucky, he chose to punt near midfield on a 4th-and-1 rather than keep the offense on the field, and Kentucky later pushed the game to overtime before winning on a walk-off two-point conversion.
Against Auburn, Kiffin was far more aggressive. Up 10-3 early in the second quarter, he kept the offense out there on a 4th-and-2 from his own 33 and dialed up a trick play.
Dillin Jones took the direct snap and handed to Leavitt, who faked the reverse to Winston Watkins Jr. before flipping the ball to Green in the flat for the first down.
LSU’s defense did its part, too, and maybe more. Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown had run for 222 yards over his previous two games, but LSU bottled him up completely. The Tigers sacked him six times and held him to 21 yards on 19 carries.
The win gives LSU a clear reason to believe the second half of the season can still tilt its way. Every SEC team has already taken at least one conference loss, and LSU still has Tennessee, No.
13 Alabama and No. 19 Texas left on the schedule.
With two losses by a combined nine points, the Tigers remain in the mix for Atlanta and are still very much alive in the College Football Playoff picture.
If LSU needs to be perfect from here to reach the 12-team field, the last two weeks suggest it may be ready for that kind of run.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Made A Serious Auburn Accusation After LSU Win
Lane Kiffins postgame comments added a sharp edge to LSUs win at Auburn, turning attention from the scoreboard to one of the games more unsettling moments. After watching tight end TreyDez Green return from a lower-body injury and contribute five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, Kiffin said he believed Auburn defenders were trying to use a hip-drop tackle on Green, a technique the NFL has banned because of the injury risk.
Greens workload eased as the game went on, and Kiffin said the situation concerned the tight end enough to affect how much he played late. For Auburn, the accusation lands in an uncomfortable spot, especially in a game where Greens return from injury had already made him a notable factor for LSU and a reminder of how quickly physical play can shift a night from competitive to contentious. [Read more 🡒]
Former Auburn Receiver Leaves Fans Worried About What Comes Next
Auburn fans had a familiar kind of unease after watching former Tigers receiver Cam Coleman leave Texas game against Ole Miss early in the third quarter with an apparent shoulder injury. Before exiting, Coleman had made one catch for 12 yards, but the bigger concern for anyone following his season was simply the way he came off the field and how quickly the tone around the injury changed.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian did not offer a specific update afterward, but he made clear the issue did not look promising. For Auburn supporters still tracking Colemans next chapter, the injury adds another layer of concern about what comes next and how soon he can get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Just Dragged Auburn Into A Bigger Postgame Debate
Lane Kiffin left Auburn with an added layer of scrutiny after LSUs win, calling out the Tigers defenders for what he described as hip-drop tackles on tight end Trey'dez Green. Green was taken out of the game because of concern over those plays, which still are not banned in college football, and the postgame conversation quickly shifted from the result itself to how the physical edge of the game is being policed.
Kiffin also addressed why he put starting defenders back on the field late, saying the choice came after requests from players and reflected the mentality he wants from his team. For Auburn, the broader issue lingers beyond one night, because the focus is now on where the line sits between aggressive football and the kind of contact that can change a game, or a season, in an instant. [Read more 🡒]