Welcome everyone to the latest preview of the LSU Tigers next matchup! This week, we break down the matchup against the Auburn Tigers.
Last Week: The LSU Tigers started off their conference slate by eking out a win against Mississippi State by the score of 23-20. Auburn on the other hand, the Aggies took them down by the score of 29-16 behind a big game from kicker Daniel LaCamera who accounted for 17 points.
Last Meeting: The last time these two met up, Leonard Fournette had one of his breakout games over Auburn and helped them get a decisive victory by the score of 45-21. LSU leads the overall series 28-21-1 and they’ve won four of their last five matchups.
What to Watch For:
Sean White’s Chance to Shine: Auburn has been dealing with a tough decision with who will start on Saturdays lately. Week one saw them trot out three QBs (Sean White, John Franklin III, and Jeremy Johnson) against Clemson, but now it seems like White will be the starting quarterback according to what’s being said by Malzahn. If he can prove his worth for this team, even if it’s in a losing effort, the job may very well be his.
Malzahn’s Last Stand? The Auburn Tigers have dipped down towards the bottom of the SEC after a few years where they were one of the top contenders in the country. After a 1-2 start, perhaps the LSU game could be looked at as Gus Malzahn’s last stand as the head coach of the Tigers. It might not happen after this weekend, but a loss for Auburn might be the beginning of the end of the line for Malzahn.
Can Lightning Strike Twice? Last year, Leonard Fournette went absolutely off against the Auburn Tigers inside Tiger Stadium. It looked like he was returning to form after missing a game against Jacksonville State last week after being injured in the final moments of the Wisconsin game. The junior running back had the lion’s share of the carries last week with 28 for 149 yards and two trips to the endzone. LSU needs to have Fournette go off against this suspect Auburn run defense that allowed 230 yards last week against Texas A&M.
LSU Will Win If:
If Leonard Fournette can somewhat duplicate the performance he had last year against this team, the Tigers can improve to 3-1 on the year. Also, they need to keep Etling throwing like he did last week. The Tigers should be anticipating the run, so some passing thrown in there should help improve their chances of winning.
Auburn Will Win If:
Auburn can turn their fortunes around if they can catch LSU napping. Last week, they had a very lackluster second half and LSU almost lost against Mississippi State. If LSU can’t get things going in the second half, Auburn needs to put the pedal to the metal if they want to avoid going 1-3.
-Clint Domingue