Less than a minute into the third quarter of No. 6 LSU’s 35-21 victory against Auburn, junior linebacker D.J. Welter read the pulling guard and diagnosed an off-tackle run to his left.
After initially overpursuing Auburn junior running back Tre Mason, Welter quickly changed direction and nimbly skirted a pile of grounded players. Welter chased Mason all the way to the numbers before wrapping him up short of the first down marker to force a third-and-two.
Welter’s relentless pursuit of Mason was indicative of the performance of LSU’s (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) linebacker corps during Saturday night’s rain-soaked contest, as the team’s top three tacklers were linebackers.
Welter and senior Lamin Barrow tied for a team-leading 11 stops, and sophomore Kwon Alexander — who didn’t start the game — registered 10 tackles. Welter and Alexander also recorded one tackle for loss apiece, while Barrow recovered a fumble on Auburn’s (3-1, 1-1 SEC) opening drive.
“We were filling our gaps and cutbacks were being made here and there,” said junior defensive end Jordan Allen. “Tackles were not necessarily being missed, but guys were just sliding off in the rain. The rain might hurt an offense, but it hurts a defense too whenever you just can’t grip somebody. Our linebackers swarmed to the ball every time, and that goes for our defensive line and secondary, too.”
Coming into Saturday night’s game, there were concerns about whether the linebackers would be capable of running sideline-to-sideline with the athletes littering Auburn’s up-tempo spread offense. Though not known for his speed, Welter exhibited the ability to cover the entire field, and Barrow was quick to recognize his teammate’s skills.
“What gives [Welter] an edge is his knowledge,” Barrow said. “He does a great job of studying film and knowing the playbook and knowing where everybody is supposed to line up. He’s a great play-caller — he gets those calls in fast. Just to have him out there on the field is a great help.”
LSU coach Les Miles said Auburn played into Welter’s strengths, and the junior linebacker echoed his coach’s words. Welter said he enjoys defending the run and physically engaging opposing offensive linemen and running backs.
LSU finally broke through in the turnover department, causing three turnovers against Auburn after forcing only three through as many games this season. In addition to Barrow’s fumble recovery, senior safety Craig Loston and sophomore cornerback Jalen Mills each picked off Auburn junior quarterback Nick Marshall.
“It’s something that [defensive coordinator John Chavis] stressed before the game,” Barrow said. “We’re a team that’s been known for takeaways over the years. Coming out and getting a fumble recovery and a couple of interceptions felt good. It’s something we’ve got to build off of and keep going.”
Despite shutting down Auburn’s offense during the first half, LSU surrendered 437 yards to the visitors, nearly 170 yards more than its season average. But Auburn’s effectiveness in moving the chains resulted in only 21 points, an acceptable tally for LSU’s defense, considering it allowed 19 points per game heading into the contest.
Mason gouged LSU’s defense, scoring twice while amassing 132 yards on 26 carries. However, Mason’s longest run was only 17 yards, and junior wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said the linebackers did an excellent job of wrapping him up to prevent a long-yardage touchdown.
Auburn scored all of its points and gained 333 yards in the second half, while Marshall exploited the LSU secondary on completions of 42 and 52 yards to sophomore receiver Sammie Coates.
“We made it halfway through the third quarter and [Auburn] barely had any yards, and then they hit us for a couple of big plays,” Welter said. “We’ve just got to minimize those and stay focused on what we’ve got to do this week.”
LSU will face its first true road test this Saturday when it travels to Athens, Ga., for a ranked matchup with No. 9 Georgia. Sophomore running back Todd Gurley, who averages 125.6 yards per game, leads the potent Georgia offense, and the LSU linebackers will have to step up again if the Tigers hope to leave Athens with a victory.
“I think we’re all adjusted to the SEC style of play because the competition is a little bit higher and the game is a lot faster,” Allen said. “Now that we’ve already settled in, dug our feet in, we’re going to be great coming in this week.”