Auburn returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday to play No. 17 LSU. Can the Auburn Tigers pull off another upset in year one under head coach Alex Golesh?
Auburn pulled off the biggest upset of the college football season by defeating No. 1 Georgia this past Saturday in Athens. Now, they turn their attention to the LSU Tigers as a team with confidence that has proven they can beat anyone. Auburn enters this game as the underdog. The ESPN Matchup Predictor gives Auburn a 28.8% chance to win.
Auburn will need to play the type of game they did in the win over Georgia. They will need to control the line of scrimmage and be consistent at running the football. Auburn outgained Georgia 192-113 on the ground. The LSU Tigers rank No. 1 in the conference, allowing just 88.1 yards per game on the ground. However, the Bulldogs rank No. 2 in that category, and Auburn had success with Byrum Brown and the running backs.
The turnover battle will be key once again. Auburn forced three turnovers against Georgia and did not commit any of their own. Going into that game, interceptions had been an issue for Brown with seven on the season. Auburn will be facing a quarterback in Sam Leavitt who has thrown eight interceptions this season. The Auburn defense will need to create opportunities for the offense to gain an upset victory.
A big advantage for Auburn is that they are playing at home. Both of LSU's losses were away from Baton Rouge, at Ole Miss and at Kentucky. The crowd at Jordan-Hare should be electric on Saturday after Week 7's upset win at Georgia.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: ESPN predicts the winner of Auburn vs. LSU