Following a two-week hiatus away from Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn football is back on the Plains this Saturday to host rival LSU in this year’s edition of the Tiger Bowl.
Auburn is looking to erase its three-game losing streak to the Bayou Bengals, who are coming off a stellar performance in a win against South Carolina. Here are some players to watch and keys to victory for both teams ahead of Saturday’s matchup.
Auburn
Seth Williams (WR) - The phrase “Nix to Williams” is well-known to Auburn fans, as the duo continues to showcase each other’s talents.
The junior had his best game of the season last week in Oxford, Mississippi, totaling 150 receiving yards on eight receptions with one touchdown, a game-winner.
At 6-foot 3-inches, Williams is as tall as anybody in the LSU secondary and is arguably one of the country’s best jump-ball receivers. This sets Williams up to potentially have another big game for the second consecutive week, so keep an eye on No. 18 Saturday.
Tank Bigsby (RB) - The freshman running back has emerged as a fan favorite and the Tigers’ leading rusher. Bigsby is a player for opposing defenses to consistently have an eye on, as he’s difficult to contain in the running game, especially after first contact.
Following his 129 rushing yards against Ole Miss, Bigsby became just the third freshman in program history with three 100-yard rushing games against SEC opponents. The other two? Michael Dyer and Bo Jackson.
When Shaun Shivers went down with an injury, Bigsby stepped in and stepped up at running back. Now that Shivers is back on the field, the duo delivers what head coach Gus Malzahn describes as a “good 1-2 punch.”
It was evident in the Ole Miss game, as the two combined for 189 rushing yards, Bigsby leading the way with 129 of them.
Owen Pappoe (LB) - The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native recorded a career-high in tackles last Saturday in Oxford. He racked up 14 total tackles in the game. Pappoe is currently fourth in the SEC in total tackles with 47. Keep an eye out for Pappoe to build off his momentum from the Ole Miss game on Saturday.
LSU
T.J. Finley (QB) - Ed Orgeron announced on Wednesday that he believes quarterback Myles Brennan, who hasn’t practiced all week, won’t play on Saturday.
So turn your attention to T.J. Finley, who will be making his second career start after starting against South Carolina last weekend. Finley helped lead LSU to a 52-24 victory.
Finley releases the ball quickly and accurately. He completed 81% of his passes against the Gamecocks, throwing one interception in the process. The Bayou Bengals also utilize Finley’s 6-foot-6 frame, often rushing the quarterback up the middle in short-yardage situations.
Malzahn had high praise for the LSU freshman in his Tuesday press conference.
“I was very impressed with the young guy,” Malzahn said. “They ran the football, and he made some good throws in tight coverage. The big thing is that they were able to run the football successfully with Finley at quarterback.”
Terrace Marshall Jr. (WR) - LSU’s leading receiver, Terrace Marshall, has 512 receiving yards this season, well over twice as many as the next LSU receiver does.
Marshall has a knack for finding the end zone with nine touchdown receptions this season. Marshall leads the SEC in touchdowns.
The junior from Bossier City, Louisiana, has at least one touchdown reception in each of his last seven games. It ties the school record for most consecutive games with a touchdown reception, and he’ll be looking to break the record on Saturday.
BJ Ojulari (DE) - His performance against South Carolina last week led to the true freshman being named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. Against the Gamecocks, Ojulari recorded three sacks in the win. Ojulari now has four sacks on the season, which leads the conference. Look for him to get in the backfield often, as he poses a serious threat to the Auburn offensive line and Nix.
Keys to Victory
Auburn
For Auburn to win consecutive games for the first time this season, it will need to protect Nix. The offensive line will need to slow down guys like Ojulari for Nix to run through his progressions.
Nix will need to deliver his passes with accuracy and capitalize on the LSU passing defense, which is ranked worst in the conference.
A key point for Auburn if it has a lead in this matchup will be finishing the game. In its previous three games against LSU, Auburn has led in the second half and lost.
The Tigers lost 27-23 in 2017 after jumping out to an early 20-0 lead. In 2018, Auburn led by 11 late in the third quarter but ultimately lost on a last-second field goal. In 2019, Auburn led 13-10 in the third but lost 23-20.
LSU
Finley will need to find a rhythm early for LSU to win the game. While Jordan-Hare Stadium will be at reduced capacity, the home crowd will still try to rattle the 18-year-old quarterback in his first career road game.
Finding a rhythm and building confidence will be the key for Finley, who is dangerous for opposing defenses when he’s on his mark.
Bo Pelini’s defense will need to show up for the second consecutive week and shut down an Auburn offense coming off its best game.
Auburn likes to utilize Williams in jump-ball passes deep downfield. LSU will need to prevent those long plays from developing by putting pressure on Nix, as Williams holds the height advantage against the LSU secondary.
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