Auburn vs. LSU: Ticket Info, Date, TV Schedule and Live Stream
Call Saturday's high-profile showdown between the No. 18 Auburn Tigers and No. 13 LSU Tigers a tale of two programs.
LSU took care of business on the road against then-No. 25 Mississippi State, 21-19, behind the wheels of Leonard Fournette, who ran for 159 yards and a trio of scores.
Auburn, on the other hand, looked shaky in a season opener against Louisville, just hanging on for a 31-24 win. Speaking of just hanging on, Auburn then needed overtime in a 27-20 escape against Jacksonville State to avoid one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history.
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No matter how dramatic, it's early in the season, early in the SEC and these two stand undefeated. Here's everything to know about the showdown in Death Valley.
Viewing Info
When: Saturday, September 19, 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Television: CBS
Live Stream: CBSSports.com
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Betting Line (via Odds Shark): LSU (-7)
Team Injury Reports
| Avery Young | OL | Ques Sat |
| Joshua Holsey | DB | out for season |
| Tyler Queen | QB | out for season |
| Carl Lawson | DL | Ques Sat |
| Prince Tega Wanogho | DE | Ques Sept 19 |
| Kerryon Johnson | RB | Prob Sat |
| Jaunta'vius Johnson | DL | Ques Sept 19 |
| T.J. Davis | DB | Ques Sept 19 |
| Jordan Diamond | OL | Ques Sept 19 |
| Myron Burton Jr. | WR | Ques Sat |
Forcing a Turning Point
| Isaiah Washington | DE | Ques Sat |
| Jalen Mills | S | Late Sept |
| Mickey Johnson | DT | out for season |
Auburn doesn't really have a choice—everything needs to come together this weekend. One loss isn't the end of the world, but the schedule reads Mississippi State next, then a run of four top-17 teams and SEC opponents over its last five games of the season.
The term "turning point" seems to be a sticking point around the team heading into the weekend. Linebacker Kris Frost told ESPN.com's Greg Ostendorf a season of ebbs and flows is part of the deal.
“In a championship season, in a long season, there are a lot of turning points," Frost said. "I feel like there are a lot of big moments. LSU obviously, we have an opportunity to beat a really good team and just handle our business. We’re going to do everything we can to accomplish that.”
The problems, though, are bountiful. The transition from Nick Marshall to Jeremy Johnson hasn't been as smooth as some would have thought. The junior has just 373 yards and three touchdowns to five interceptions.
Key weapons such as wideout D'haquille Williams and running back Roc Thomas have battled injuries and been otherwise unproductive despite the best efforts of coach Gus Malzahn. The defense hasn't helped, allowing Jacksonville State to run up 438 total yards and an 8-of-17 mark on third downs.
Now Auburn runs into the best team it has played all year in a locale it hasn't beaten LSU at since 1999. If Malzahn's team is championship material, it will need to show it Saturday afternoon.
Grinding It Out
History on its side, LSU just needs to ride on the shoulders of a Heisman Trophy contender.
Fournette's outburst last week wasn't an isolated incident, not after he rushed for 1,034 yards and 10 scores as a freshman. He helps make Brandon Harris under center all the more viable, as the sophomore looked comfortable against the Bulldogs with a 9-of-14 line for 71 yards and another 48 yards on the ground.
Fournette and a less predictable attack should find plenty of success at home against a hobbled defense that has already allowed 399 rushing yards and four scores on the ground while teams convert almost half of their third-down chances.
They say the best defense is a good offense, which LSU has, but the LSU defense might be impressive enough to exploit the faltering Johnson, who hasn't been able to provide versatility with his feet for Auburn.
LSU defensive end Lewis Neal told ESPN.com he expects the unit to perform much better this week: "But we missed a lot of sacks. We could have had seven or eight. There were more opportunities for us. We'll come out 10 times better in the second game."
The LSU defense looks great and sounds prepared, but it wasn't too long ago Auburn delivered a 41-7 beatdown to the unit. Things seem different now, but Malzahn is still an offensive guru with weapons to work with. LSU doesn't look like a team capable of loading on the points while playing from behind, so the team needs to fire on all cylinders Saturday.
Prediction
Two weeks ago, this looked like perhaps the best early-season matchup on the schedule. Both teams play smash-mouth football, have key returning players on both sides of the football and have grand SEC aspirations.
Now, though, it's apparent Auburn isn't handling replacing key players in stride. LSU has continuity going for it, which will show on the field Saturday afternoon.
Look for Fournette to have another massive game against a struggling defense. Auburn's limited offensive opportunities won't have any rhythm, both because they will be so few and far between and because of a venue the program just can't win at as of late.
Prediction: LSU 23, Auburn 14
Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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