LSU’s trip to Auburn came with a lot of noise around it. By the time the Tigers left with a 38-17 win, they had answered just about all of it.
The victory was LSU’s first SEC road win in more than two years, and it came in the kind of fashion that travels. The offense came out firing, the defense kept Auburn in a vise, and LSU walked into its bye week at 6-2 with its playoff case suddenly looking a lot louder.
The first half set the tone fast. LSU piled up 346 yards over the opening two quarters and took a 31-10 lead into halftime. Jackson Harris was the centerpiece of that burst, hauling in seven catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns before the break.
That early explosion was powered by a clean day from Sam Leavitt. LSU’s quarterback posted a career-high 387 passing yards and, for the second straight game, didn’t throw an interception. After some early-season ball-security issues, that matters for an offense that can already stress defenses in so many ways.
Leavitt stayed locked in with Harris, and Trey’Dez Green made his return count, catching five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. In all, nine different LSU players caught a pass. The run game had its rough spots, but the Tigers still finished with 159 rushing yards, with Dilin Jones leading the way at 92 yards and a score while adding 27 receiving yards.
The other side of the ball was just as forceful. Blake Baker’s defense sacked Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown six times and finished with 12 tackles for loss. Jordan Ross matched last week’s strong showing with two sacks, and Princewill Umanmielen added one of his own.
LSU was intent on keeping Brown from hurting it on the ground, and outside of a 34-yard touchdown run, that plan mostly worked. Brown averaged only 2.1 yards per carry on his other rushing attempts.
Through the air, he managed just 6.6 yards per attempt. DJ Pickett had a strong game at corner, and PJ Woodland led the defense with nine tackles.
Jackson Harris’ rise has become one of the clearest developments in LSU’s offense. Over the past month, his role has grown, and now he looks like the clear No. 1 target. He’s making plays all over the field - outside, over the middle, on contested catches, and after the catch - and he has become one of Leavitt’s most trusted options.
When Trey’Dez Green went down at Ole Miss, LSU needed someone to step into that role. Harris did it, and now that Green is back, LSU’s receiving group looks loaded. That kind of top-end threat changes how defenses have to defend the Tigers.
Just as important, LSU checked a box it badly needed to check: winning away from home. The Tigers hadn’t won a road game since October of 2024 before Saturday, and there were fair questions about how they’d handle a hostile environment. They answered those questions early, jumped on Auburn, and never let the game tilt back.
Now LSU gets a bye week with momentum and a 6-2 record. Back-to-back wins and some chaos elsewhere have pushed the Tigers back into the College Football Playoff conversation. The math is straightforward: finish 10-2, and LSU has a real shot.
The path won’t be easy. After the open date, LSU hosts Alabama and Texas before closing the regular season with back-to-back road games at Tennessee and Arkansas. But after the way it handled Auburn, LSU has given itself a real seat at the table.
In Other News...
LSU Heads To Auburn With Playoff Pressure And A Key Boost
LSU heads to Auburn on Saturday with the kind of November pressure that turns every snap into a referendum on a season, and Jordan-Hare Stadium figures to be a difficult place to manage it. Both teams are carrying two losses and trying to keep their College Football Playoff hopes in view, which gives this one a sharper edge than a typical SEC road trip. The game will air on ABC with an 11 a.m. CT kickoff, setting up an early test for a Tigers team that can no longer afford to waste chances.
A key piece of help is coming back, too, with tight end Trey'Dez Green expected to return from injury. LSU has been working through the final stretch of the regular season without much margin for error, and getting Green back adds another option as the offense tries to navigate a game that could shape the rest of the conversation around its postseason path. Auburn is in the same position, which only raises the stakes for a matchup that already feels like it belongs in the must-win category. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs New-Look Lineup Raised One Immediate Concern Before The Opener
LSUs first exhibition look offered a clear glimpse of how much change this roster is carrying into the season. In the 89-87 loss to Florida State, the Tigers started three recently eligible newcomers in Skyy Clark, Saliou Niang and Brice Desser, while Donovan Dent set the tone offensively with 24 points and nine assists. It was the kind of early test that can reveal both promise and pressure, especially for a team trying to sort out roles before the games start counting.
The concern that came out of it was just as obvious as the talent on the floor. LSU still had pieces unavailable, with Gilad Levy sidelined because of eligibility and Austin Nunez out with an injury, leaving the rotation thinner than it will need to be once SEC play rolls around. For a new-look group trying to find chemistry quickly, the opener hinted at how much the Tigers may have to manage in the backcourt and beyond before the lineup is fully settled. [Read more 🡒]
TreyDez Greens Return Just Changed LSUs Offense
TreyDez Greens return gave LSU an immediate jolt in its Week 8 trip to Auburn, and it was the kind of boost the Tigers have been waiting for after he missed four games with a lower-body injury. Back on the field and clearly moving well enough to be trusted in a key spot, Green helped shape LSUs first-half control of the game and reminded the offense how much more dangerous it looks when he is available.
The tight ends impact showed up in the red zone, where he hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Sam Leavitt for his second score of the season. Green had avoided surgery and worked his way back in time to matter in a meaningful SEC road game, which is exactly the kind of development LSU can build around as it tries to keep its passing game balanced and productive. [Read more 🡒]