LSU (2-3) dropped below .500 once again following a blowout loss against Bo Nix and Auburn (4-2) on Saturday. Auburn sent LSU home with a 48-11 loss that sends them into a bye week with plenty of questions to address moving forward.
Defense was the story of the first quarter with both teams pitching a shutout, but things got away from LSU in the second quarter and the snowball continued for the rest of the game. Auburn jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. A missed field goal and a failed opportunity to take advantage of an Auburn fumble led to Auburn striking first and never looking back. Bo Nix completed a short pass to Eli Stove to open the scoring after an Auburn interception return was ruled out ay the LSU four-yard line. The Auburn defense got on the board a few drives later when Christian Tutt returned a TJ Finley fumble 20 yards for a score to put Auburn up 14-0.
Auburn took a 21-0 lead with a 99-yard touchdown drive with a good dose of Tank Bigsby and Bo Nix wearing down the LSU defense.
TJ Finley replaced by Max Johnson
In his first road start for LSU, TJ Finley had a tough game. Finley completed 13-of-24 passes for 143 yards with a pair of interceptions and a fumble. After showing so much poise against South Carolina last week, Aubrun’s defense made Finley look like a freshman at times.
With the game well out of reach in the second half, Ed Orgeron decided to give Finley a rest and sent Max Johnson in to lead the offense for the remainder of the game.
Johnson completed 15-of-24 attempts for 172 yards and a touchdown. It may be misguided to suggest Johnson should have started in place of Finley, because Auburn was in full control the entire game.
LSU defense can’t catch Bo Nix
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix was the easy pick for MVP of the game. Before leaving the game for an early rest in the fourth quarter, Nix had passed for 299 yards and three touchdowns. That included a 91-yard pass to a speedy Anthony Schwartz, who got by two LSU defenders who may have had a miscommunication or blown assignment on the play.
Nix completed 18-of-24 pass attempts while coming up just shy of his first 300-yard performance since passing for 335 yards against Mississippi State on Sept. 28, 2019. Nix was one yard shy of his third career 300-yard passing game. He also ended his day leading Auburn in rushing yardage. Nix rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown prior to leaving the game.
Worst loss in a generation?
You have to go back to 1996 for the last time LSU lost a game as decisively as they did on Saturday. LSU’s 37-point setback was the largest margin-of-defeat for the Tigers since losing 56-13 at Florida on Oct. 12, 1996. The big difference between now and then? Florida was the No. 1 team in the country in 1996 on their way to a national championship.
Odds are fairly good this Auburn team won’t be making a national title run this season.
What’s next?
LSU will be off next week, giving them plenty of time to regroup. Next up for the Tigers is a chance to pull a major upset of No. 2 Alabama. LSU hosts Alabama on Nov. 14. Auburn, after a bye week of their own, will visit Mississippi State on Nov. 14 as well.