LSU walks into Saturday’s Tiger Bowl with a clear path to the upset: make Auburn’s quarterback uncomfortable, steal a turnover or two, and keep the game from turning into one of those clean, controlled nights where Auburn can settle in at home.
That’s the lesson from Auburn’s stunning win over then-No. 1 Georgia.
The Tigers got their shot at a last-second field goal because Georgia coughed it up with just over a minute left, and that was the third turnover Auburn forced in the game. Two of those giveaways came in Georgia territory.
Auburn didn’t just survive the chaos - it used it.
That’s why the turnover battle is so central here.
LSU and Auburn both arrive with new head coaches, Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge and Alex Golesh in Auburn, and both offenses have been reshaped by that change. In Week 7, each team put together its cleanest performance of the season. Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown and LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt have both been living a little dangerously, averaging just over one interception per game, but neither gave the ball away in their games this past Saturday.
Brown is the key figure for Auburn. LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker is likely to lean on zone looks in an effort to take away Brown’s rushing threat and force him into throws he does not want to make. Brown is Auburn’s leading rusher at 76.5 yards per game, and LSU’s best chance is to make him operate under pressure instead of letting him dictate the pace.
“He’s a very good quarterback,” safety Ty Benefield said. “[He] kind of puts the team on his back.
You can see [he] runs the ball hard, got a good arm. That’s all I can really say.”
LSU’s interceptions this season have often started up front rather than in the back end. The front seven has done a lot of the heavy lifting, and that group has been tested by injuries and change.
The edge rush took a hit Saturday when Princewill Umanmielen - No. 2 in the FBS with 8 sacks - left early with an injury. He was not listed on Wednesday night’s injury report, which is a positive sign for LSU.
Even so, Jordan Ross has been productive, and the defensive tackle group has chipped in plenty as well. Deuce Geralds is tied for No. 11 in the FBS with 5 sacks and leads LSU’s freshmen.
At linebacker, LSU has had to adjust after losing Whit Weeks, but TJ Dottery and Davhon Keys have stepped up. Their jobs against Auburn are obvious: blitz, spy Brown, and help keep him from turning broken plays into Auburn momentum. If LSU can make Brown hesitate, rush his decisions, or speed the game up on him, that could tilt the night.
That’s especially important because Auburn will be back home in Jordan-Hare Stadium, where Brown and company may feel even more settled than they did against Georgia if LSU can’t create disruption early.
The road has not been kind to LSU. Its only two losses have come away from home, and the latest at Kentucky was made worse by a Leavitt fumble in the final minutes of regulation.
In those road games, LSU has also had trouble forcing opposing quarterbacks into mistakes. Trinidad Chambliss threw one interception and had a fumble recovered by his own team, and LSU did not force a turnover at Kentucky.
The schedule has brought LSU’s toughest opponents on the road, and the defense has gotten off to slow starts in each of those games. But the secondary showed a different face against Mississippi State. Kiffin said LSU came out with a more aggressive plan that pushed the back end into making plays, and the unit responded with its best game of the season in the shutout.
DJ Pickett stood out in particular. The sophomore cornerback made several big plays and was delivering hits with more force than he has at any point in an LSU uniform.
So LSU comes into Saturday with real momentum on defense, but also with a simple challenge in front of it: carry that performance into one of the loudest environments around and win the turnover battle against an Auburn team that just took down the No. 1 team in the country.
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Harris, a redshirt junior transfer from Hawaii, has earned the staffs trust during Greens absence and is expected to be available despite a recent ankle injury. For LSU, the timing creates an interesting adjustment point: the Tigers suddenly have more than one pass-catching threat to sort through, and how they balance Greens return with Harriss momentum could shape the way the offense looks going forward. [Read more 🡒]