BATON ROUGE – Jaquez Hunter’s one yard touchdown run with 3:11 remaining was the difference as No. 22 Auburn came into Death Valley and walked out with a 24-19 victory.
Bo Nix threw for 255 yards and a score, and ran for 74 yards and another in leading Auburn to its first win in Baton Rouge since 1999.
LSU has lost to Auburn in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
John Samuel Shenker led Auburn with 102 yards on five catches.
Max Johnson went 26 of 46 for 325 yards with a touchdown and a late interception that ended LSU’s hopes of pulling off a comeback victory.
Once again, LSU’s running game failed to hold up its end of the bargain, as the Tigers finished with 32 yards on 25 attempts (1.28 yards per attempt).
Defensively, LSU was able to apply pressure, but Nix was able to escape again and again. The Tigers allowed Auburn to convert 7 of 16 third downs and two of its three fourth down attempts.
The 453 yards allowed marked the third time this season that LSU has surrendered at least 450 yards this season and the eighth time the Tigers have done so in their last 15 games.
That’s twice as many as the Tigers allowed during their 15-0 2019 season.
Now LSU finds itself 3-2 (1-1 SEC) and still in search of an identity.
It didn’t start that way however…
Pinned at their own nine yard line, LSU’s first play was a 55-yard catch and run from Max Johnson to Kayshon Boutte. Boutte and Johnson would connect again on a brilliant 31-yard touchdown to cap the eight play, 91 yard drive to give LSU a 7-0 lead.
After a missed Auburn field goal, LSU drove back into the Auburn red zone before settling for three points courtesy of Cade York from 33 yards out.
The Tigers had a chance to put their paws Auburn’s neck with their third possession. LSU steadily moved its way back deep into Auburn territory, but as the offense was set to go for it on fourth and one from the Auburn three yard line, Charles Turner was called for a false start that forced LSU to kick the second of York’s 4 field goals on the night.
Instead of 17-0, the Tigers led by just two scores.
Auburn would take advantage and respond with a 10 play, 75 yard drive. Bo Nix went 6-of-8, completing passes to five different receivers and finishing it off with an unbelievable 24 yarder to Tyler Fromm on fourth down to give the visitors their first points of the night.
The Tigers defense struggled to contain Nix as he was able to buy time with his legs as his receivers worked themselves open.
Auburn would add a field goal of its own just before the half to cut LSU’s lead to three.
Coming out of the locker room, the Tigers would once again score on their first two possessions, getting a pair of Cade York field goals to make the score 19-10 late in the third quarter.
Bo Nix would respond by leading Auburn on a 75 yard scoring drive, accounting for 36 yards in the air and 23 yards on the ground, including a five-yard touchdown run.
LSU found itself clinging to a two point lead with an offense that had become neutralized.
The Tigers would be forced to punt on each of their next three possessions, but the defense would hold.
That is until that final drive.
Now, the Tigers have to prepare to go on the road to face a suddenly stout Kentucky Wildcats (5-0, 2-0) squad that upset tenth-ranked Florida earlier Saturday afternoon.
Raise your hands if you thought LSU would be a road underdog at Kentucky in 2021?
Anyone?
Anyone?