When No. 7 Auburn and No. 12 LSU face off Saturday, one of the key matchups will be, as usual, the Auburn offense against the LSU defense.
The Auburn offense is no stranger to tough defensive matchups this season. It has a grind-out win over a tough Washington team already under its belt, while the LSU defense mauled the Miami Hurricanes to start the season.
Sophomore linebacker Devin White leads Dave Aranda's unit, which owns a plus-5 turnover margin with two forced fumbles and three interceptions heading into Saturday's game.
And after a 20-point meltdown in Baton Rouge last season, Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is welcoming the challenge.
"You know, I like going against really good players, whether it’s Devin White or Greedy Williams, whoever it is," Stidham said Tuesday. "So I really look forward to the challenge. Once we kind of get into the game plan, I’ll know a little bit more of what we’re going to do. But no, I think it’s a great challenge."
Through two games, the Auburn offense is averaging 493 yards a game and 6.41 yards a play; LSU's defense is giving up, on average, 298 yards a game and 4.11 yards a play. Coincidentally, both rank No. 32 for their respective sides of the ball in the FBS.
LSU's White, Williams, defensive back Grant Delpit and defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence all made the preseason All-SEC coaches teams. Linebacker Jacob Phillips was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for the first week of the season, in which he had seven tackles and one pick six.
Coach Gus Malzahn knows that a top linebacker like White will be looking to get after Stidham early and often.
"I think (LSU) is tied for the lead in our league right now rushing the passer, and they got after both opponents really good," Malzahn said. "It's not just one guy. They do it by a group. They'll bring some linebacker pressure. Bringing a little bit more pressure the first couple of games probably than they have in the past. They've got good cover guys in the back end that allow them to do that."
The SEC opener inside Jordan-Hare will be broadcast on CBS at 2:30 p.m. CST. Auburn beat LSU in Les Miles' final game as head coach the last time the two played on The Plains. The road team hasn't won in the series since 2012.
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