While plenty of Top 25 teams stumbled Saturday, the No. 2 LSU Tigers managed to hang on to their undefeated record. But only barely. LSU improved to 7-0 with a 23-20 home win over the No. 9 Auburn Tigers (6-1 heading into that clash), but it was a near-run thing. Auburn scored a touchdown with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter to make it 23-20, and then they almost recovered an onside kick. LSU TE Stephen Sullivan got to the ball first, but Auburn DB Daniel Thomas managed to knock it loose. However, LSU WR Derrick Dillon then managed to fall on it.
Tense moments pic.twitter.com/xy18BEwIi3
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 26, 2019
Here’s a look at that replay:
On the day, LSU posted 508 net offensive yards to Auburn’s 287, but they were held to a field goal on fourth down near the goal line just before the half, and then failed on a fourth-down conversion in the second half. So Auburn did an excellent job of hanging around and keeping this one close despite the discrepancy in quarterback play; LSU’s Joe Burrow completed 32 of 42 passes for 321 yards with a touchdown and an interception and also ran 13 times for 31 yards and another touchdown, while Auburn’s Bo Nix completed 15 of 35 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown and an interception while running nine times for -16 net yards (but also a touchdown).
In the end, though, the home Tigers won and survived. But late injuries to star defensive backs Grant Delpit and Derek Stingley Jr. are certainly concerning, and they’ll face a major test in two weeks on the road against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. We’ll see how that one goes.
[ESPN]
