Last week, the Auburn Tigers hosted the Missouri Tigers for the first time since they joined the SEC. In a 17-14 overtime win, Auburn showed that it could win a close game and overcome adversity.
As uncertainty continues to loom, Auburn looks ahead to hosting Brian Kelly's LSU Tigers and improve to 2-0 in SEC competition for week five.
The annual battle of the Tigers will be played in Auburn to wrap up Auburn's five-game home stand. Auburn won last year in Baton Rogue, 24-19. This win snapped the infamous losing streak in Death Valley. It was the first time Auburn won in the notorious Death Valley since 1999.
LSU is coming off a win over New Mexico, 38-0. It is 3-1 this season after losing to Florida State 24-23 in the opening week in an early-season game of the year candidate.
LSU owns a very balanced offense, but it leans towards running the ball. LSU averages over three rushing touchdowns per game, they also average 5.5 yards per carry. The Tigers ran the ball 41 times for 219 yards and four scores against New Mexico as opposed to 39 passes for 414 yards but only one TD.
Last week, Auburn found success at times running the football. This was mostly in the first quarter as it jumped out to a 14-0 lead early, with both TDs coming on the ground. However, Missouri made the defensive adjustments and shut down Auburn's offense for the last three quarters, keeping them out of the end zone for the rest of the game..
When Auburn gets away from the run, it has not gone well. It only has two passing touchdowns this season and neither of those were thrown to a wide receiver.
Quarterback Robby Ashford has been listed as the starter on the official depth chart for this week's game. Ashford gets another chance to prove his worth as the teams starter and try to secure the full-time starting job.
Players to Watch
Auburn
Derick Hall (DE)
Hall had one of his best games in an Auburn uniform last week. He had six total tackles, two sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery to win the game. Hall is the leader of this defense, and they will need him to continue to cause chaos on the opposing team's offense.
Owen Pappoe (LB)
After the loss to Penn State, Pappoe responded with a great game against Missouri. He recorded eight total tackles, seven of which were solo tackles. With LSU's offense's tendency to run the football, Pappoe will be asked to fill the gaps and make open-field tackles against running backs.
Offensive Line
The offensive line has struggled so far this season, not being able to find consistency on the depth chart. Auburn has lost two of their centers. Now with Tate Johnson being out for an extended period of time, the line is trying to get its footing. The unit will look to bounce back and prove themselves against one of the best defenses in the conference.
LSU
Jayden Daniels (QB)
Daniels transferred in from Arizona State, and the junior looked as good as advertised. He has yet to turnover the ball and has been running the LSU offense smoothly. He has 835 passing yards, six passing touchdowns with zero interceptions.
He is also a proven threat with his feet as well, as he has over 250 rushing yards this season, leading LSU in the rushing department. His ability to make a play out of nothing is a liability for defenses to plan for.
Kayshon Boutte (WR)
After missing last week's game due to the birth of his child, Boutte is back in the lineup to face Auburn. When he faced Auburn last season, he had six receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown. He has gotten off to a slow start so far this season but is expected to get back on track sooner rather than later.
Harold Perkins (LB)
As a true freshman, Perkins has shown why he was ranked as one of the top prospects in the nation last year. He was the No. 8 overall prospect, according to 247 Sports. Many were unsure if he would get meaningful playing time this season, but he has answered that question by leading LSU in tackles through four games. He has 21 total tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Keys to Victory
Auburn
Auburn needs to have a balanced offense to win this game. It is no secret the passing game has struggled this season, so Auburn will need to lean heavily on the run game to open up small pass concepts and help open up more running room.
Last week, Auburn showed they can run the ball with little passing offense, as they did in the first quarter. However, Auburn became too run heavy and caused Missouri to send eight rushers on each play. This caused Auburn's offense to stall.
In LSU's loss this season, they made many mistakes on special teams. Auburn will look to cause havoc on special teams.
LSU
LSU will be looking to force takeaways early. This is because their offense has shown they do not turn over the ball often. LSU has struggled to take the ball away this season. If they can get Jayden Daniels balanced and making plays, it could be a long night for Auburn.
LSU's defense will try to replicate what Missouri and Penn State did in causing Auburn's offense to stall out inside opponent territory. LSU's defense has been tough this season and will look to continue being one of the better defenses in the SEC.
LSU could look to get their running backs involved early, as junior back Noah Cain and sophomore Armoni Goodwin have combined for nine rushing touchdowns so far this season. Cain led the way in rushing yards last week with 94, but both backs got in the end zone twice.
This week five matchup will start on Saturday at 6 P.M. CST under the bright lights of Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN.
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TP is a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @tp_hammock
