Sam Leavitt put together a clean, explosive night, and LSU had no trouble turning it into a comfortable road win.
Leavitt threw for 387 yards and three touchdowns as LSU rolled past Auburn 38-17 on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. He completed 32 of 45 passes without an interception and also scored on a 4-yard run, helping LSU move to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference.
The passing game did most of the heavy lifting, but LSU got production everywhere it needed it. Jackson Harris was the big-play spark, catching nine passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard strike late in the first half. Trey’Dez Green added five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown.
LSU’s defense and control of the game made the difference just as much as the offense. The Tigers outgained Auburn 552-271, held a 31-10 halftime lead and never really let the game tighten back up.
Auburn got on the board first with a 23-yard field goal from Alex McPherson, after LSU opened with a 30-yard field goal from Scott Starzyk. From there, LSU ripped off 28 unanswered points.
Leavitt connected with Harris for a 10-yard touchdown, then found Green for a 15-yard score. Harris struck again on the long 70-yard catch, and Leavitt capped the first-half surge himself with a 4-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds left before the break.
LSU kept pushing after halftime. Dilin Jones added a 12-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to stretch the lead to 38-10. Jones finished with 92 yards on 21 carries.
The defensive front kept Auburn under constant pressure. LSU recorded seven sacks for 48 yards and 12 tackles for loss. Jordan Ross had two sacks, and Davhon Keys, TJ Dottery, Princewill Umanmielen, Ty Benefield and Lamar Brown each finished with one.
Auburn quarterback Brown finished 15 of 24 for 160 yards and was sacked six times. Tristan Ti’a added 44 passing yards in relief and ran for a 7-yard touchdown in the final minute.
LSU also shut down Auburn’s run game, allowing 67 yards on 35 carries for a 1.9-yard average. The Tigers avoided turnovers, went 5 of 5 in the red zone and held the ball for 33:41.
LSU now gets an open date before returning to Tiger Stadium to face Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 7.
In Other News...
LSUs New Backcourt Just Changed The Feel Around This Team
The first time LSU rolled out its full roster in the exhibition against Florida State, the Tigers came away with an 89-87 loss, but the bigger takeaway was the new look in the backcourt. Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark were the standouts, giving LSU the kind of perimeter play that can change the tone of a team quickly. Dent finished with 24 points and nine assists, while Clark added 21 points and eight rebounds, and together they helped make the Tigers look far more dangerous than a box score loss might suggest.
For a team that has been searching for a clearer identity, that mattered. LSU still has plenty to clean up before the regular season opens Nov. 3 against LSU New Orleans Privateers, but the exhibition offered a first real glimpse of how this group can function when its key pieces are on the floor together. Even in defeat, the Tigers left with something useful, which is the kind of early sign a coaching staff can build on. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Changed The Playoff Conversation With This Road Breakthrough
LSUs trip to Auburn came with a little more weight than a typical October road game, and the Tigers handled it with the kind of authority that can shift the national conversation. A 38-17 win gave LSU its first SEC road victory in more than two years, a notable breakthrough for a team that needed proof it could travel, control the game and still look like a playoff contender away from Baton Rouge.
Sam Leavitt and Jackson Harris helped fuel the offense, while the defense kept Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown from finding much rhythm. At 6-2, LSU has put itself back into the thick of the College Football Playoff race, and the bigger question now is whether this performance was a one-night surge or the start of a legitimate late-season push. [Read more 🡒]
LSU May Have Finally Found The Receiver This Offense Needed
Jackson Harris has gone from intriguing transfer to one of the most productive pieces in LSUs passing game over the past month, and his latest outing gave the Tigers another look at what the offense can become when he is featured. The redshirt junior from Hawaii turned in a career night in the win over Auburn, finishing with nine catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns, the kind of performance that changes how defenses have to treat LSU on the perimeter.
Over the last five weeks, Harris has been one of the most consistent players in the offense, piling up 31 catches for 517 yards and seven touchdowns while steadily building chemistry in a receiver room that has clearly taken a step forward. Lane Kiffin has already pointed to Harriss work ethic and the growth of the group, and the bigger question now is whether this surge is the start of something lasting for an LSU passing attack that has been searching for exactly this kind of reliable playmaker. [Read more 🡒]