With the game set to kick-off just hours from now, one final look at the matchup of the two Tigers. A look at how the offense and defense matchup when each team has the ball.
When LSU has the ball
LSU Offense vs Auburn Defense
Per Game | LSU | SEC Rank | Auburn | SEC Rank |
Total Yards | 377.5 | 12th | 284.3 | 4th |
Scoring Offense | 34.5 | 9th | 15.5 | 4th |
Passing | 297.5 | 5th | 185.0 | 8th |
Rushing | 80.0 | 13th | 99.3 | 4th |
Third Down Conversion % | 38.2 | 11th | 34.6 | 8th |
Red Zone TD% | 80 | 2nd | 70.0 | 12th |
It has been a struggle for the LSU offense in terms of total yards and running the football. They are just ahead of Mississippi State in yards per game, they are last in yards per attempt. They need to convert on third down to keep the Auburn offense on the sideline. They are one of the best when they get into the red zone, but the offense needs to sustain drives to give them opportunities.
For Auburn, it is all about slowing down the LSU passing attack with Max Johnson and Kayshon Boutte. Their defense will face a formidable passing game for the first time this season. While they allow a high red zone touchdown percentage, teams haven’t scored a lot against them. The numbers are a bit skewed with games against Akron and Alabama State. This will be a massive test for Bryan Harsin’s defense.
When Auburn has the ball
Auburn Offense vs LSU Defense
Per Game | Auburn | SEC Rank | LSU | SEC Rank |
Total Yards | 484.3 | 3rd | 345.5 | 11th |
Scoring Offense | 44.0 | 3rd | 22.8 | 11th |
Passing | 227.3 | 9th | 237.5 | 12th |
Rushing | 257 | 4th | 108.0 | 5th |
Third Down Conversion % | 38.2 | 11th | 46.97 | 13th |
Red Zone TD % | 64.3 | 9th | 66.7 | 10th |
When Auburn’s offense takes the field, it will be strength vs strength when it comes to the run game. Auburn is 4th in the conference in rushing yards and LSU’s defense is top five in the SEC with just over 108 yards per game. If Auburn can’t run the football effectively, it could cause problems for their offense. They haven’t shown to be a big-time offense when it comes to throwing the football.
For the LSU defense, can they force bad decisions by the Auburn quarterbacks? This season they are +3 in turnover differential. They took the ball away twice to help lead the team to the win against Mississippi State. The defense must slow down the Auburn duo of Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter to force Bo Nix or TJ Finley to throw the ball and give their DBs a shot to take the ball away.