Sam Leavitt put on a clinic, Jackson Harris delivered the kind of breakout line that jumps off the page, and LSU never gave Auburn a chance to build on last week’s upset of Georgia.
Behind Leavitt’s 387 passing yards and three touchdowns, Harris’ career-high 178 receiving yards and two scores, and a defense that piled up six sacks on Byrum Brown, LSU rolled to a 38-10 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Auburn entered the day riding the momentum of a 27-24 stunner over top-ranked Georgia on Alex McPherson’s last-second field goal, but that energy didn’t last long against LSU. Alex Golesh’s team did manage to cut the margin to 17-10 in the second quarter, yet the visitors answered with the next 21 points and steadily pulled away.
LSU opened the scoring with 3:48 left in the first quarter when Leavitt hit Harris from 10 yards out to make it 10-3. Early in the second quarter, Leavitt pushed the lead to 17-3 by finding Trey’Dez Green on the tight end’s return after missing time with a sprained ankle suffered against Ole Miss in Week 3.
Auburn briefly found some traction later in the second. With 5:42 remaining, Byrum Brown scored on a 1-yard run to trim the deficit to 17-10.
That was as close as it got. Just over a minute later, Leavitt connected with Harris again, and Harris did the rest, turning the play into a 70-yard touchdown that made it 24-10 with 4:29 left before halftime. LSU kept its foot down, and with 17 seconds left in the half, Leavitt added a 4-yard rushing score to send the Tigers into the break up 31-10.
Dillin Jones added another punch in the fourth quarter, finishing with 92 yards on 21 carries and scoring on a 12-yard run to make it 38-10. Auburn backup quarterback Tristan Ti’a added a late touchdown with 24 seconds remaining to account for the final margin.
The numbers told the story in full. LSU finished with 552 yards of offense to Auburn’s 271, while Auburn was held to just 1.9 yards per carry on 35 rushing attempts. Brown completed 15 of 24 passes for 160 yards and no touchdowns.
In Other News...
LSUs Auburn Grades Exposed Whos Fueling This Surge And Who Isnt
LSUs 38-17 win over Auburn came with another strong mark from Pro Football Focus, as the Tigers posted an overall team grade of 83.6 for the second straight week above 80. That kind of consistent grading matters because it suggests the performance was not just a one-off bounce, but a sign that LSU is starting to stack complete games on both sides of the ball.
The individual numbers help explain why. Jackson Harris led the way with a 90.2 grade, while DJ Pickett also stood out at 84.6, giving LSU impact plays at key spots. On the other end, Tre Brown and William Satterwhite II landed near the bottom of the chart, a reminder that even in a convincing win, there are still areas the Tigers will want to clean up as the schedule moves on. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Climbing But One Thing Still Stands Between The Tigers And The Playoff
A wild weekend across college football has opened the door for movement in the AP poll, and LSU could be one of the teams to benefit from the chaos. Two previously unbeaten teams fell to unranked opponents, and two other one-loss teams did the same, giving pollsters plenty to weigh as they reshuffle the top of the rankings. Miami is expected to stay at No. 1 after another dominant win, but the ripple effects could be felt well beyond the top spot.
For LSU, the bigger picture is clear: the Tigers are climbing, and the landscape around them is helping. With so many teams in the mix taking losses, the path to the playoff looks a little more favorable on paper, even if the Tigers still have work to do to keep moving in the right direction. Oklahoma State, Iowa and Texas Tech are among the teams facing potential movement as well, making this one of those weeks when the rankings could tell as much about survival as they do about success. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs New Backcourt Just Changed The Feel Around This Team
For the first time with its full roster on the floor, LSU gave a clearer glimpse of what this team might look like this season in an exhibition against Florida State. The Tigers came up short 89-87, but the game still offered plenty of reasons for optimism, especially with the new backcourt starting to take shape and the offense showing more rhythm than it has at other points in the preseason.
Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark were the headliners, with Dent finishing with 24 points and nine assists and Clark adding 21 points and eight rebounds. Those numbers mattered less than the way the two seemed to steady LSU throughout the night, a promising sign for a team that appears to have more balance and shot-making than it did a year ago. The real test starts November 3 against LSU New Orleans Privateers, but the feel around this group has already changed. [Read more 🡒]