LSU vs. Auburn: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
The 48th edition of the Tiger Bowl between LSU and Auburn could not have bigger implications, as both teams look to secure solid footing in the SEC before season-defining stretches.
No. 5 Auburn is on the hunt to repeat as SEC champs and snap a three-game losing streak to LSU, the only team to upend Gus Malzahn's team a season ago.
The 15th-ranked Tigers already have a loss on the season's resume, but coach Les Miles and his staff seem to believe they have found a remedy to the team's issues in freshman quarterback Brandon Harris.
In a late duel between defensive stalwarts, season aspirations will be extended or crushed in emphatic fashion. As some would tout, it is set to be just another wild Saturday in SEC land.
Ground Wars
Both Tigers in action Saturday in Auburn have gaudy statistics on the defensive side of things.
The home side ranks No. 15 overall with an average of just 16.3 points per game allowed, while the visitors are even better at No. 6 with an average of 13.
That said, both can struggle against the run, which in turn opens up secondaries to exposure through the air.
LSU knows a lot about this topic. In a 34-29 loss to Mississippi State two games ago, Miles' side allowed a staggering 302 total rushing yards. In a four-point win to start the season, the team was gashed by Wisconsin to the tune of 268 rushing yards on a 6.9 per-carry average to go with three scores.
That shaky ground defense against good teams is troublesome, especially against an Auburn offense that can replicate the attack Mississippi State brought to the table. Malzahn's team ranks among the top 20 rushing squads thanks to a read-option attack with quarterback Nick Marshall and back Cameron Artis-Payne, among others:
| Cameron Artis-Payne | 86 | 468 | 5.4 | 37 | 5 |
| Nick Marshall | 42 | 273 | 6.5 | 50 | 2 |
| Corey Grant | 34 | 216 | 6.4 | 24 | 1 |
Along those same lines, Auburn can struggle at times against the rush. On just 29 carries, Arkansas ran up 153 yards, and even Louisiana Tech found room for 105 yards.
LSU certainly has a pair of backs who can exploit an up-and-down defense. Leonard Fournette and his 322 yards and four scores is the star of the show, but Kenny Hilliard is right behind with 298 yards and four scores of his own.
In a predictable, entertaining matter, whichever team can impose its will on the ground figures to leave Saturday still on the warpath toward greater aspirations.
The Wild Card
It probably took longer than it should have, but Miles has made a change under center, placing his faith in the freshman Harris.
Harris, who entered LSU's last game against New Mexico State after a dreadful beginning from Anthony Jennings, posted an 11-of-14 line for 178 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for two scores. The week prior, in that eventual loss to Mississippi State, Harris entered to provide a spark and went 6-of-9 for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
LSU has now scored touchdowns on 12 of the last 15 possessions Harris has been under center.
"Absolutely, (we're) not looking past this one (performance)," Miles said, per Jim Kleinpeter of NOLA.com. "Seven straight scoring drives, he did the things we asked him to do, no turnovers, operated the offense very effectively."
The problem is, there is a world of difference for Harris Saturday. It is the freshman's first career start, not to mention at night in front of a national audience against one of the best teams in the nation.
Should Harris stay composed and his ground game keep the Auburn defense honest, he has two elite receivers to utilize against a shaky secondary. Travin Dural already has himself 534 yards and five touchdowns on the year, while Malachi Dupre (197 yards and four scores on nine receptions) is slowly becoming Harris' go-to receiver, as illustrated by Randy Rosetta of NOLA.com:
Of course, the inverse is always true. Harris could play like a freshman in a less-than-ideal situation, turn the ball over a few times and further complicate the quarterback controversy.
No pressure.
When: Saturday, October 4, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
Television: ESPN
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 56.5
- Spread: Auburn (-7.5)
Team Injury Reports
| Jared Foster | QB | 09/06/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | foot |
| Trey Lealaimatafao | DT | 08/02/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | arm |
| Connor Neighbors | FB | 10/01/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Questionable | concussion |
| Dwayne Thomas | CB | 09/29/2014 | is expected to miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Quentin Thomas | DT | 10/01/2014 | is doubtful for Saturday's game against Auburn | Doubtful | arm |
| Travonte Valentine | DT | 09/10/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | eligibility |
| Gage Batten | FB | 08/31/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Jordan Diamond | G | 09/26/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | undisclosed |
| Kris Frost | LB | 10/01/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against LSU | Questionable | knee |
| Alex Kozan | G | 08/02/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | back |
| Carl Lawson | DE | 07/15/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Cassanova McKinzy | LB | 10/01/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against LSU | Questionable | concussion |
| Patrick Miller | OL | 10/01/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against LSU | Questionable | undisclosed |
| Jermaine Whitehead | S | 09/18/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Patrick Young | FB | 08/31/2014 | is expected to miss the entire season | Out | knee |
Injury reports via USA Today.
Prediction
Revenge is quite the motivator, but so is a season-defining win before a wicked stretch that includes Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama.
In short, Auburn cannot afford to drop this one.
By all accounts, the home team should come out on top. The crux of Malzahn's attack is rushing the football in a creative, brutal manner, something LSU clearly struggles with this season. Harris has the sheer talent to make this one competitive, but a few freshman mistakes mean the ball resides in Auburn's hands just long enough to secure the win.
Prediction: Auburn 34, LSU 31
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
