The Auburn Tigers will host the LSU Tigers in huge SEC West showdown on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn comes into this game as the number 7 ranked team in the nation. LSU isn’t too far back, checking in with the number 12 ranking through the first two weeks of the college football season.
Both of these teams have already knocked off a top-10 opponent this season. Auburn used a late rally to beat the University of Washington in the season opener, before destroying Alabama State in week two. LSU kicked off their season by dominating the University of Miami and moved to 2-0 with an easy victory last weekend. The LSU Tigers are +10.5 in this game against Auburn.
LSU Defense Must Dominate
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron knows that his defense must come up big if his team is going to upset Auburn on the road. The LSU defense has looked great at times this season, but they are facing a dynamic Auburn offense in this game. LSU will be incredibly aggressive on defense in this game and will try to use their speed and athleticism to their advantage. The Tigers have already recorded nine sacks and eight takeaways this season.
The LSU offense is led by quarterback Joe Burrow and running back Nick Brossette. Burrow was sharp in the season opener but struggled last week to hit open receivers. He has thrown for just 291 yards and two touchdowns this season. Brossette has burst onto the scene this season and has already rushed for 262 yards and two touchdowns. LSU will need to find balance between their passing and running game to confuse the Auburn defense.
Stidham Leading Auburn’s Charge
Junior quarterback Jarrett Stidham is off to a great start for the Auburn Tigers in 2018. He has thrown for 386 yards and two touchdowns while completing 68% of his passes. Auburn finally has a quarterback who can throw the deep ball to take pressure off their ground game. JaTarvious Whitlow has racked up the most rushing yards for the Tigers this season, but they have a deep roster at this position. The Auburn rushing attack will feature a tough task against LSU on Saturday.
The Auburn defense was the biggest reason for their season-opening win, and they will look to play a big role in this game. The Auburn defensive line is big and fast, and they will look to keep the pressure on Joe Burrow all night. The Tigers were able to turn up the defense late in their victory over Washington with a pair of sacks to secure that victory. Auburn’s defensive line will likely decide the outcome of this game.
LSU Has A Shot
LSU was able to beat Auburn at home last season, and Gus Malzahn’s team will be looking for revenge in this game. This should be a very physical game with a lot of huge hits, just as most SEC games are. LSU will need to find a way to put up some points through the air in order to pull off the upset.
Auburn has looked like a top-5 team this season, but the SEC will provide an even bigger test. Auburn will need Stidham to have a solid game to open up running holes for their talented tailbacks. This has all the makings of an extremely competitive, low-scoring affair. Bet on the LSU Tigers +10.5 over the Auburn Tigers
