LSU football looks to gain momentum with win over Auburn in Week 9

LSU football seeks to build momentum for rest of season with victory over Auburn. Which Tigers will come out on top in Week 9.

I think one of the most fascinating storylines on the season has been the youth movement of LSU.

Everyone knows about what LSU lost from last year’s all-time great team, but most have already dismissed the Tigers this season because of that and their two losses to Mississippi State and Missouri. I think that might have been a mistake, because the Tigers are still very talented and some of their younger players are taking on bigger roles.

The LSU offense has still been very good this season, even if it is not performing at the unbelievable pace that they were last year. Quarterback Myles Brennan is unlikely to play for a second straight week, but that was not a problem last week against South Carolina as freshman TJ Finley looked solid, completing 17-of-21 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns.

Some other freshman that have been a big part of LSU’s offense include tight end Arik Gilbert and running back John Emery Jr. Wide receiver Terrace Marshall has stepped into the role of the No. 1 wide out and has been great so far this season. This youth movement on offense should have LSU fans excited for the rest of 2020 and going into 2021.

Auburn is a team that is 3-2, but should probably be 1-4 instead if it were not for two very favorable calls that went in their favor in wins over Arkansas and Ole Miss. Auburn’s offense has been a mess for a lot of the year due to the poor offensive line play and Bo Nix not developing as a passer has to be frustrating for Auburn fans.

The only two players that Auburn has been able to count on offense are freshman running back Tank Bigsby and wide receiver Seth Williams. They will have a chance to get right on offense against an LSU defense that has struggled for most of the year.

Auburn’s defense is another unit that has taken a step back and is not playing up to their usual level. They lost a lot of key players, especially on the defensive line and secondary, from last season, but they are just not the dominating unit that we are used to seeing. They will be tested against an explosive LSU passing attack that features a lot of different looks and matchup problems for Auburn.

Here is how you can watch LSU vs. Auburn on Saturday.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium
Location: Auburn, Ala.
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Live

Keys to Victory

For the LSU offense, the key to victory will be Finley. He was outstanding against South Carolina last week, but there is usually a tendency for freshman quarterbacks to come back down to earth after having a great debut like Finley did. He will need to take care of the ball and hit the big plays down the field on the Auburn secondary.

For the LSU defense, stopping the run will be the key. Bigsby has been one of the more impressive true freshmen in the country and at times, can be the only thing going for the Auburn offense. I think if LSU can stop the run on early downs and force Auburn into third-and-long, that is how the LSU defense can be successful.

For Auburn on offense, they need to try and take advantage of what has been a shaky LSU secondary. Other than Derek Stingley Jr., LSU’s secondary has been the weak point of the team so far and Auburn needs to be able to hit big plays down the field like Mississippi State and Missouri did on LSU. This is a huge game for Nix and the Auburn passing attack to get going.

For the Auburn defense, they need to find a way to get pressure on LSU’s young quarterback. This is the most talented team that Finley has played so far in his very young career and Auburn needs to be able to force him into mistakes and get the ball with a short field to make it easier for their struggling offense.

Betting Odds

Odds provided courtesy of The Action Network

Point Spread: LSU -1.5
Over/Under: 64

Prediction

I think this is about as close to a pick’em game as you are going to find this weekend. Both of these teams have not had the season that they hoped for going in, but both need a victory on Saturday to carry momentum into the rest of the season.

Auburn has been very fortunate to win some of the games that they have and I don’t think that is a way to win consistently going forward. I have more faith in LSU’s youthful talent and explosive offense than I do in any unit on Auburn’s team.

Give me LSU in a close one.

Final Score: LSU 34, Auburn 28