As LSU faces Auburn on Saturday, the Tigers defense looks to continue the success it had last week against South Carolina.
The schedule only continues to get tougher as LSU prepares to face Auburn. Heading into the matchup at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the unit absolutely must continue in the improvements we saw last week.
The Tigers defense struggled the first three games of the season, but held South Carolina to just 24 points last Saturday.
Facing Auburn quarterback Bo Nix will be no easy task, and LSU has to be ready for anything thrown at them.
Here’s a look into some key things LSU must accomplish defensively in order to secure the victory.
Contain Bo Nix
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix played against LSU last season, and went 15-of-35 for 157 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
This time around, the LSU defense looks different and runs a new scheme under defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who is on his second stint with the team.
LSU has to contain Nix in the pocket and take away his ability to dish the ball to his main target, Seth Williams.
If the Tigers can force Nix to pass to other receivers or double check on routes, that could cause mishaps for the Auburn offense.
Here’s a look into the biggest pregame storylines for LSU’s pivotal match-up against Auburn.
The LSU Tigers face SEC West division rival Auburn on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
LSU has won the last three games in the series, and can go for four straight against its division rival this weekend.
Here’s a look into the biggest pregame storylines for LSU’s pivotal match-up against Auburn.
TJ Finley to start at QB
LSU freshman quarterback T.J. Finley will earn his second straight start in place of junior signal-caller Myles Brennan, who is still out with an injury.
Last week against South Carolina, Finley shined under center going 17-of-21 for 265 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw one interception, but the freshman still managed to lead the Tigers to victory.
Saturday will mark Finley’s first start away from Tiger Stadium. While there is limited capacity due to the coronavirus, Jordan-Hare Stadium will still be loud.
The deafening crowd at Auburn could cause issues for Finley at the start of the game. Heading into enemy territory for the first away start of a career is always challenging.
The last time LSU started a true freshman in their first road game as a starter, the Tigers coincidentally played at Auburn and lost 41-7. Former LSU quarterback Brandon Harris earned his first road start in Jordan-Hare in 2014 and the result wasn’t what he had anticipated.
While history may not repeat itself this time around, the change of pace in the game for Finley will be something to keep an eye on.
Auburn faces off against LSU this Saturday at 2:30 on CBS. It’s already spooky enough that this game takes place on Halloween, but within the last few days Vegas odds have swung out of Auburn’s favor and into LSU’s. Here’s what the experts are saying:
College Football News
Pete Fiutak: Auburn 34 LSU 30
Why he thinks Auburn will win:
“It’ll be a tough back-and-forth battle, but Auburn’s defense will come through when needed, and Nix will have a second straight above-average game to get by.”
SB Nation
Shane Shackelford: LSU 42 Auburn 30
CBS Sports
Barrett Sallee: LSU (-3)
What he says:
“I’ll take LSU to win and cover. The offense is good enough to put pressure on coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Chad Morris to panic and get away from the running game. If and when that happens, it’ll be lights out for Auburn. Some of Nix’s success this year has been thanks to Seth Williams catching desperation heaves. That is simply not sustainable. Nix will make several mistakes in the fourth quarter for LSU to pull away late.”
247Sports
Brad Crawford: Auburn 28 LSU 26
What he says:
“There’s literally nothing that says Auburn, a lucky winner in the final moments vs. Ole Miss last week, should win this game. Bo Nix has struggled with consistency and LSU is coming off its best performance of the season, with a freshman quarterback no less. But I like the idea of Kevin Steele gameplanning for a first-year player under center and believe Auburn is due for a standout defensive outing. Gus Malzahn could use a notable win this fall and he gets it on Saturday.”
Chris Hummer: LSU 31 Auburn 24
What he says:
“LSU remains a difficult team to peg. Myles Brennan’s status is up in the air and the Tigers’ defense ranks 96th out of 101 teams. Regardless, I expect LSU to continue to score as it did against South Carolina last week. As for Auburn … this team just isn’t all that good. Ole Miss should’ve presented an opportunity for the offense to get going. Instead, Bo Nix and that unit stalled once again. I’m sure Auburn will move the ball Saturday. I just can’t see it scoring enough to keep up.”
Athlon
Steven Lassan: Auburn
Mark Ross: LSU
Ben Weinrib: Auburn
Bleacher Report
Joel Reuter: LSU 34 Auburn 24
What he says:
“This looked like a much more significant game when LSU began the season at No. 7 in the AP Poll and Auburn was close behind in the No. 11 spot, but a pair of losses for each team has left this matchup in the unranked section. LSU has some momentum after a 52-24 blowout win over South Carolina last week, while the Auburn defense was shaky once again, allowing 444 yards against Ole Miss.”
Yahoo Sports
Sam Cooper: Auburn (+3)
What he says:
“LSU beat South Carolina 52-24 last week. That’s the same South Carolina team that beat Auburn 30-22. Perhaps that explains this point spread, but I think the wrong team is favored. Auburn, which is 8-2 against the spread as a home underdog under Gus Malzahn, gave the South Carolina game away when it strayed way too far from its running game and was doomed by three Bo Nix interceptions.
The score of LSU’s win over the Gamecocks is misleading as 14 of LSU’s points came via a pick-six and a kick return TD. LSU’s defense didn’t take any major strides. South Carolina’s running backs gained more than nine yards per carry, Collin Hill averaged more than 10 yards per attempt and South Carolina’s kicker missed three field goals.”
The Athletic
Stewart Mandel: Auburn 35 LSU 34
What he says:
“Your guess is as good as mine on this one. This will likely be a swing game in the SEC West. Neither team has been overly impressive to date, but they’re also both capable of going on a run from here. And Auburn is already having one of those seasons where the breaks seem to constantly fall its way.”
Bruce Feldman: Auburn 35 LSU 28
What he says:
“LSU has won the previous three meetings against Gus Malzahn’s program, all close. The hunch here is that Auburn finally gets a win, especially with LSU playing a true freshman QB, T.J. Finley, in his first road game. Auburn also has the kind of skill guys to take advantage of what has been a defense prone to allowing big plays.”
Well, there you have it. Experts are split on their predictions in this game. Despite the line shifting to LSU’s favor it looks like most of them are still going for Auburn. I hope they’re right!
LSU defeated Auburn 23-20 in 2019 en route to the program’s fourth national championship.
The 2019 season will forever go down in LSU football history as the best season ever by a Tigers team. A 15-0 record culminated by a College Football Playoff national championship places LSU in the record books.
One of the most meaningful wins last season was in Baton Rouge against the Auburn Tigers.
LSU entered the game No. 2 in the country with a 7-0 record. Auburn was No. 9 with a 6-1 record.
LSU only put up 23 points, but the lowest number of points scored the entire season proved to be enough to get the three point victory.
Joe Burrow finished the game 32-of-42 passing for 321 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran the ball 26 times for 136 yards and a touchdown.
For Auburn, quarterback Bo Nix finished 15-of-35 for 157 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Auburn held a 3-0 lead after the first quarter, but LSU found the end zone nearly three minutes in to the second quarter to take a 7-3 lead.
With 3:06 left before the half, Auburn took a 10-7 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Nix. LSU kicker Cade York tied the game at 10 just before the half on a 20-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Auburn took a 13-10 lead but LSU bounced back on a six-yard run by Edwards-Helaire to put LSU up 16-13.
The fourth quarter saw LSU go up 23-13 on a seven yard touchdown by Burrow. Auburn would score with 2:32 remaining, but it wouldn’t be enough as Ed Orgeron’s Tigers would remain undefeated at 8-0.
This win marked the lowest points scored in a game by the Tigers in 2019, but it proved to be one of the most meaningful wins for the program as LSU chased a championship.
The Auburn quarterback threw for 238 yards and touchdown while also rushing for a score.
[jwplayer 5q0dpPKT]
Bo Nix had probably his best game of the season against Ole Miss on Saturday, completing 23-of-30 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 52 yards and another score as the Tigers pulled out a 35-28 victory in Oxford.
He was also clutch, hitting Seth Williams for the 58-yard, game-winning touchdown with 1:11 left to regain the lead for Auburn. For his efforts, he is one of the eight quarterbacks that has been named to the Manning Award Stars of the Week.
Malik Willis, an Auburn transfer who now plays at Liberty, was also on the list after he broke the school record for most touchdowns responsible for (7) by throwing for six and rushing for one, helping lead the Flames to a 56-35 win against Southern Miss.
Taking a look at predictions from around the country for Auburn at Ole Miss.
[jwplayer gxfwDq63]
Auburn takes on Ole Miss this Saturday in what many experts describe as a must-win game for both teams. Ole Miss (1-3) will be hoping to get its offense back on track after losing to Arkansas while Auburn strives to re-obtain a winning record after a loss to South Carolina knocked them out of the top 25.
Right now Auburn is a three-point favorite, but here’s what the experts have to say:
247Sports
Brad Crawford: Auburn 31 Ole Miss 27
What he says:
“I saw Auburn’s loss at South Carolina coming last week. Hammered the Gamecocks +3 and on the moneyline after calling the Tigers one of the Top 25’s most overrated teams for weeks. The early part of this week has centered around Gus Malzahn’s future on the Plains in the aftermath and rightfully so considering this team’s offense has been wildly inconsistent this fall. That being said, Auburn won’t lose to Ole Miss. This is my favorite bet of the week actually. I’ll take the Tigers and lay three.”
Chris Hummer: Auburn 27 Ole Miss 21
What he says:
“This should be a get right game for the Tigers’ offense. If Chad Morris is smart that means feeding Tank Bigsby the ball early and often against a run defense that’s allowing 6.2 yards per carry, third-to-last in the FBS. I do wonder, however, if Auburn is explosive enough if it gets behind early. As it is, I’m betting Kevin Steele steals Barry Odom’s formula to beat Ole Miss – don’t blitz, drop coverage, make the Rebels drive – and the Tigers bounce back.”
Bleacher Report
Kerry Miller: Auburn 34 Ole Miss 31
What he says:
“Leave it to Lane Kiffin to come in and destroy three of the SEC’s best 2019 defenses (Florida, Kentucky and Alabama) before a seven-turnover nightmare in a loss to Arkansas. The Rebels need Matt Corral to revert to throwing like he did for the first three weeks (76.1 percent completion, 360.0 yards, 3.0 touchdowns, 0.3 interceptions).
When Auburn has the ball, it’ll be mediocre offense against terrible defense. Bo Nix has not looked good at all thus far, but at least the Tigers have found something in freshman running back Tank Bigsby. He has eclipsed the century mark in two consecutive games, and Auburn would be wise to ride that tank to victory in this one.”
College Football News
Pete Flutak: Auburn 34 Ole Miss 30
What he says:
“Both teams have major problems, but give Ole Miss a wee bit of a break defensively – even if it’s a minuscule one. The Rebels faced Florida’s Kyle Trask, Alabama’s Mac Jones, and they dealt with the Kentucky’s Terry Wilson and Arkansas’ Feleipe Franks just like Auburn did.
Nix won’t be razor sharp, but he’ll be just good enough, Bigsby will build off his 111-yard day against South Carolina, and even on the road, the offense will look good for at least one Saturday.”
SportsbookWire
Cameron DaSilva: Auburn 35 Ole Miss 30
Athlon Sports:
Steven Lassan: Auburn
Mark Ross: Auburn
Ben Weinrib: Auburn
Ryan Wright: Ole Miss 38 Auburn 28 (ouch)
What Ryan says:
“Auburn’s defense is good, but Ole Miss’ offense presents a stern test given the firepower the Rebels boast. Similar to Alabama, Lane Kiffin has the horses to attack any defense on the ground and through the air. If the Tigers get the needed stops, can their offense do enough to keep Ole Miss’ defense on its heels?
The expected “soft spot” of Auburn’s schedule has turned out to be anything but and the Tigers still have LSU, Alabama, and Texas A&M left to play. But taking care of business against Ole Miss comes first. Unfortunately, for Auburn, Matt Corral gets back on track and leads his Rebels to a big home win.”
The Athletic
Stewart Mandel: Ole Miss 38 Auburn 30
What he says:
“If Vegas wants to keep making Auburn a favorite despite how poorly it’s played, then I’m going to keep picking against the Tigers. Bo Nix and that offense have not demonstrated they can put up enough points to keep up with an explosive Ole Miss offense unlikely to put up a second consecutive stinker like at Arkansas.”
Stewart Mandel has Auburn on upset alert, but little does he know that no Auburn fan can be more upset than we already are. If there’s anything we’ve learned from every expert prediction here it’s that Auburn needs to throw less and play Tank Bigsby more.
Twitter was not kind to Auburn following the loss to South Carolina.
I’m not here to make excuses for anybody. Saturday was a disappointing showing of football for Auburn. Describing it as anything less would be an understatement.
Auburn fans had A LOT to say after the loss, most of the discussion were calls for Gus Malzahn to get fired.
Here’s the best of Auburn Twitter’s reactions to Auburn’s loss:
Agree with this thread. I love Auburn culture, but some of it needs to change. We need to stop accepting average and being “good”. We need different, we need new, we need a spark into this program. It feels FLAT! https://t.co/qIO2jlzAVg
This thread is fantastic, I strongly recommend everyone to read. To be honest, my heart sank when I saw Seth Williams and Bo Nix jarring at each other on the sidelines.
AU needs a culture change. Gus has lost the locker room. It’s over when your “quarterback” and wide receiver 1 (Seth Williams) are fighting on the sideline. Then he says the week after “this team is extremely talented”. Cont down below.
— Tank Bigsby Fan #FireGus #HireBrentVenables (@auburn_fanatic) October 17, 2020
Pass interference is called on Auburn on the most uncatchable ball I've ever seen but OK
I really feel like if you look past the 3 interceptions, terrible drops, inability to get a stop in the redzone & the inability to score while in the redzone it was a decent game by the Tigers
Gus Malzahn isn’t the answer at Auburn anymore. He’s a good guy and a good coach, but it’s just stale now. Auburn’s program shouldn’t be in this poor of shape in his eighth year.
Bo Nix vs Jarrett Guarantano is scheduled in five weeks and I think both Auburn and Tennessee should lie and say covid positives make playing the game impossible.
I think Tank Bigsby proved against Arkansas that he’s Auburn best offensive weapon so how you don’t have a game plan built around your best player is beyond me. Auburn tried to get cute by airing the ball out vs. USC instead of feeding the beast that Tank is. The result is an L
Welp. Prepare for the worst next week against Ole Miss, cause it doesn’t look like this ship is getting righted any time soon. This team has major issues that need to get fixed, and it’s certainly not just focused on Bo Nix.
Auburn and Georgia face off on Saturday night in Athens.
Round 128 of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will kick off this Saturday at 6:30 pm in Athens as seventh-ranked Auburn takes on No. 4 Georgia. Georgia is currently favored by six and a half points, but not all experts are sold on the Bulldogs. Here’s what they have to say:
247Sports:
Brad Crawford: UGA 27 Auburn 19
Why: Crawford is extremely high on Georgia’s defense in this one. He says the keys to the Bulldogs’ success on Saturday are to feed Zamir White and negate Seth Williams (good luck with that).
Chris Hummer: UGA 21 Auburn 17
Why: Hummer says that he has a lot of questions about both teams, especially Georgia’s quarterback situation. Ultimately he gives the nod to Georgia due to them being, “the more talented team at home.”
Athlon:
Steven Lassan: UGA
Mark Ross: UGA
Ben Weinrib: UGA
Sporting News:
Bill Bender: UGA 27 Auburn 23
Why: Bender says, “Georgia has quarterback questions, and it will be interesting if USC transfer JT Daniels sees his first action in a tough assignment against Auburn, which looked more consistent with Bo Nix in his sophomore season.”
NCAA Sports:
Barrett Sallee: Auburn
Why: Sallee isn’t buying that JT Daniels is 100% healthy and says that Auburn’s defense isn’t going to be threatened by either of Georgia’s quarterbacks. Sallee also thinks that Malzahn and Morris are going to open up that playbook a lot more on Saturday. “Take those points, but you won’t need them. Auburn will win this game outright.”
Bleacher Report:
Joe Tansey: Auburn (+6.5)
Why: Tansey did not like what he saw from Georgia against the Razorbacks, he cites the two costly turnovers by the Bulldogs and says, “Gus Malzahn’s team did not turn over the ball in its win over Kentucky and picked up 233 of its 324 total yards through the air.” He also adds that Bo Nix’s chemistry with his wide receivers is superior. Tansey also adds that history is on the Tigers’ side of covering the spread, “In their six meetings since 2015, Georgia is 5-1 outright, but Auburn has kept three games within one score, which makes the possibility of the Tigers covering the 6.5-point spread larger.”
USA Today:
Of the 17 sportswriters polled, only two picked the Tigers (I love being the underdog) and they are Ben Niewoehner of College Football News and Scott Steehn of WinnersandWhiners.
Overall many experts are skeptical of JT Daniels, as they should be, but they’re also not sold on how well Auburn’s O-line will hold up against Georgia’s solid defense. Personally, I like our chances at keeping this game dangerously close on Saturday. This game is one that everyone will be watching.
