No. 18 LSU rolled into Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday and absolutely clobbered Auburn 38-17, shaking off Auburn’s previous upset win against then-No. 1 Georgia. The Tigers were 7.5-point road favorites on FanDuel, and quarterback Sam Leavitt delivered one of his best individual performances of the season, showing the entire SEC exactly why LSU’s playoff hopes are still kicking.
Leavitt Unleashed: A Dominant Performance
Leavitt was the real deal out there, doing it all for LSU. He lit up the passing game, completing 32 of 45 attempts for a staggering 387 yards, tossing three touchdowns with zero interceptions. But he wasn’t content just staying in the pocket. Leavitt added another dimension with his legs, running for 54 yards on eight carries and punching in a touchdown himself. This dude was on fire. His favorite target, wide receiver Jackson Harris, went off for nine catches, 178 yards, and two touchdowns, including a massive 70-yard score that basically broke Auburn’s spirit. Tight end Trey’Dez Green also hauled in five receptions for 50 yards and two crucial touchdowns. Running back Dillin Jones contributed 92 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, plus another 27 yards on four receptions. Winston Watkins Jr. and Eugene Wilson III also chipped in with four catches each.
On the other side, Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown struggled to find a rhythm, completing 15 of 24 passes for 160 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He did try to make things happen on the ground, carrying 19 times for 21 yards and a touchdown. Keshaun Singleton led Auburn’s receiving corps with 64 yards on four catches.
The Game’s Crucial Swings
The first quarter started slow with both teams trading field goals. But then LSU cranked it up, with Leavitt firing a 10-yard scoring strike to Harris, followed by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Green, putting LSU up by 14. Auburn tried to answer, and Brown scampered for a huge 34-yard gain, then punched it in from the one-yard line. That score gave Auburn some much-needed momentum and had the crowd buzzing. But those good vibes evaporated quicker than rain on a hot sidewalk. Just over a minute later, Leavitt hit Harris on a crossing route, and Harris took it 70 yards to the house for his second touchdown of the game. After an Auburn three-and-out, LSU marched 74 yards on 10 plays, capped off by Leavitt’s four-yard touchdown run with just 17 seconds left in the half, extending LSU’s lead to a commanding 31-10. The third quarter was a defensive battle, completely scoreless. But Dillin Jones sealed the deal early in the fourth with a 12-yard touchdown run, making it 38-10 and essentially putting the game out of reach.
CFP Dreams and the Road Ahead
With this impressive road win, LSU now stands at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC, keeping those College Football Playoff hopes alive and kicking. Sure, they’ve got blemishes with an eight-point loss to Ole Miss and a one-point heartbreaker against Kentucky, but these back-to-back wins against Mississippi State and Auburn show this team is back on track. Get ready, because after a bye next week, LSU is about to enter a brutal three-game stretch. They’ll host No. 13 Alabama, then No. 19 Texas, before hitting the road to face No. 11 Tennessee. Kiffin’s squad might have to run the table if they want a real shot at cracking the top 11 in the CFP rankings with three losses.
Meanwhile, Auburn’s loss means they fall to 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC. Head coach Alex Golesh has his work cut out for him to get his team to bowl eligibility in his first season. They still have Arkansas and Samford on the schedule, giving them a solid chance to finish .500 or better for the first time since 2020. But first, Auburn has a tough matchup next Saturday when they go on the road to face No. 7 Ole Miss. Both teams have got some serious challenges ahead!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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