Photo by John Reed-Imagn Images/Reuters; Logos via sportslogos.net
After getting a shutout win at home over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, LSU packed its bags for a road matchup with the Auburn Tigers. An explosive first half led to the Tigers walking away with a 38-17 win over the Plainsmen to improve the team’s record to 6-2 on the season. Saturday morning’s win was also LSU’s first road win since the 2025 season-opener against the Clemson Tigers.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Auburn started the game by going three-and-out after Princewill Umanmielen sacked quarterback Byrum Brown on third down. Both teams traded field goals on the next two drives as LSU kicker Scott Starzyk made a 30-yard field goal, and Alex McPherson made a 23-yarder for the Plainsmen.
Sam Leavitt to Jackson Harris was a repeated connection, especially in the first half for the Tigers. Those two linked up four times on the second Tiger possession for 47 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown that put LSU ahead 10-3 with 3:48 left in the first quarter. Coach Lane Kiffin’s group added to their lead four possessions later when the Tigers went 95 yards in 14 plays. The Bayou Bengals ran a trick play on 4th & 2 that resulted in Leavitt finding Trey’Dez Green in the flat for an 11-yard gain. Green capped off the drive with a 15-yard touchdown catch on third down.
LSU’s defense bottled up Brown for the majority of the first half. The only time Brown was a threat with his legs was when he scrambled 34 yards to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Auburn’s QB1 to cut it to a seven-point difference with 5:42 left in the second quarter.
Leavitt to Harris burned the Plainsmen again, this time for a 70-yard score where Leavitt found Harris across the middle on a 15-yard dig out, and the emerging wide receiver outran the rest of the defense. An Auburn three-and-out opened the door for the Tigers to score one more time before the break. LSU drained over three minutes before Leavitt took a power run to the left for a four-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left.
LSU went into the half with a 31-10 lead.
The second half featured a lot less scoring as the third quarter had four drives finish with punts. LSU also milked half of the quarter clock on its opening possession. The Tigers were penalized five times on the drive where the offense at one point found themselves in a 3rd & 35.
The scoring drought was interrupted when LSU went 67 yards in seven plays as Dilin Jones reached paydirt on a 12-yard run. Leavitt completed a pair of 19-yard passes to Harris and Zach Grace ahead of the touchdown as the Tigers were up by 28 points 64 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Both teams brought in their backup quarterback in the final five and a half minutes of the ball game. The LSU defense continued to live in the Auburn backfield as the unit recorded its seventh sack of the day when Davhon Keys took down Tristan Ti’a before the sophomore signal caller rushed into the endzone from seven yards out with 24 seconds to go.
LSU went into victory formation to secure the 38-17 win over Auburn to improve their record to 6-2 heading into the bye.
BIG NUMBER: 60
With the win on the road, Lane Kiffin improved to 60-0 when his team leads by 14 or more points in the first half.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jackson Harris
Harris has become Sam Leavitt’s number one target on the outside, and that was the case against Auburn. Despite getting injured in the second half, the junior receiver finished the day with nine catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers moved to 6-2 with a 38-17 win over Auburn.
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