Auburn Tigers vs. LSU Tigers
Quarterback Jeremy Johnson and the No. 18 Auburn Tigers will look to turn things around quickly when they face the unenviable task of traveling to Baton Rouge to face the No. 13 LSU Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Stadium. Running back Leonard Fournette and an always-stout defense will look to lead LSU to its second win over a ranked SEC opponent to begin the season after the Tigers dispatched then-No. 25 Mississippi State 21-19 last weekend in Starkville.
Details for Saturday’s game are below:
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2015
Start Time: 3:30 pm PM EST
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Stadium: Tiger Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Live Stream: CBSSports.com
Radio: Auburn IMG Sports Network, LSU Radio Network
Ticket Information: For LSU ticket info click here, for Auburn ticket info click here.
Keys to Victory
Johnson and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp were supposed to the missing pieces to help Auburn maximize its outstanding talent, and the Tigers were labeled as a playoff contender as a result. Instead, both have disappointed early on, and Auburn certainly doesn’t look worthy of its preseason No. 6 ranking – or perhaps even its current No. 18 mark.
Both will have to improve instantly if Auburn is going to leave Death Valley with a win on Saturday. LSU had far more talent than a depleted Mississippi State squad and could have lost if it weren’t for some time management problems, but a road win in the SEC West is always worth something. It’s worth noting that LSU didn’t even get to warm up against a cupcake, as its opener against McNeese State on Sep. 5 was canceled.
Things could get ugly quickly for Auburn on Saturday, as the weaknesses its shown in the first two games play right into LSU’s strengths. This game will hinge on Auburn’s rush defense, which gave up 161 yards to Jacksonville State and 238 to Louisville at 5.0 yards per carry.
If the defensive line keeps playing like that, Fournette is going to have a field day. The ultra-talented sophomore carried the ball 28 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns against the Bulldogs, and figures to be the focus of the LSU offense on Saturday.
In addition, Johnson figures to be pressured against a LSU defense that is consistently an NFL talent factory and features one of the top corners in the country in Tre’Davious White. So far, Johnson has completed 60. 4 percent of his passes for 373 yards, 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. It’s not just that Johnson has thrown that many interceptions, the majority of them have been very ugly.
The Auburn defense is going to be on the field long enough dealing with Fournette. If Johnson compounds that with turnovers, Auburn could get blown out.
That’s not to discount Auburn, who still has a ton of talent, an innovative coach who has a good track record of a developing quarterbacks, and a secondary that could give quarterback Brandon Harris problems if fully healthy. If Auburn can suddenly get its big-play offense going behind a solid group of receivers, this will be a game.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: LSU – 7
Moneyline: LSU – 275
O/U: 48.5
Even with Auburn’s disappointing early season, these are two of the most unpredictable and wild teams in the nation. Anyone betting on this one needs a certain level of bravery.
Auburn failed to cover double-digit spreads in either of its first two contests. LSU narrowly missed covering a four point line in its opener against Mississippi State.
Prediction
Playing down to competition is not exclusive to Auburn, and the Tigers are much better than they looked last week. Still, all the key matchups in this one favor LSU.
If the game were later in the season, Auburn would have a solid chance of winning. At this point, its hard to see the Tigers fixing their numerous issues instantly in one of the hardest stadiums in the nation to win in.
The Auburn defense is going to have a difficult time getting off the field against Fournette. LSU may not have much of a passing attack, but it shouldn’t need one on Saturday.
While Johnson has the raw talent to be a great quarterback, the LSU defense should be able to cause him problems. Auburn could hang in for a while, but the defense is going to have a hard time avoiding getting worn down by the second half.
While LSU won’t light up the scoreboard, it should be able to hold Auburn at bay and eventually pull away.
Final Score: LSU 27, Auburn 14