LSU delivered one of its most convincing performances of the season Saturday afternoon, overwhelming Auburn 38-17 in a game that was essentially decided by halftime.
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The Tigers from Baton Rouge looked like a completely different offensive team from the one that has occasionally struggled with consistency this season.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt led the charge with a career-high 387 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He also contributed a rushing touchdown, giving Auburn’s defense more problems than it could handle.
Wide receiver Jackson Harris was particularly impressive, catching nine passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Whenever Auburn appeared ready to make a defensive stand, LSU seemed to find another way to advance the football.
The visitors wasted little time establishing control. LSU opened a 10-3 advantage in the first quarter and then exploded for 21 points in the second. By halftime, the score was 31-10, and the home crowd had precious little to cheer about.
Auburn entered the contest riding high after its surprising victory over Georgia the previous week. That performance suggested the Tigers might be ready to make a serious late-season push. Instead, they ran into an LSU squad playing some of its best football.
LSU’s defense deserves considerable credit. Auburn managed just 271 total yards, including only 67 on the ground. The visiting Tigers registered seven sacks, constantly disrupting quarterback Byrum Brown and preventing Auburn from establishing an offensive rhythm.
LSU finished with 552 total yards and 29 first downs, compared with Auburn’s 16. LSU’s advantage in both yardage and efficiency tells much of the story.
The victory also ended LSU’s eight-game losing streak in SEC road games, an accomplishment that should provide a considerable confidence boost.
LSU improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play, keeping its postseason ambitions alive. Auburn slipped to 4-3 and 2-3 in the SEC.
The Tigers now have an open date before hosting Alabama on November 7. Considering both programs’ recent struggles and Saturday’s developments, that matchup suddenly looks like one of the most intriguing remaining games on the SEC schedule.
For Auburn, the challenge is figuring out which version of its team will show up next week against Ole Miss. The team that upset Georgia demonstrated considerable potential. The one that struggled against LSU still has plenty of work to do.
