Out of every team LSU has played this season, Auburn has arguably the most unique offense that LSU will see in the regular season.
It’s an offense that has been stopped as of late, as Auburn is coming off two straight losses to Texas A&M and Georgia. But Auburn has been able to reassess after a bye week this past weekend, so LSU may see some change from the team and what it has done this season.
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For starters, Auburn is a run-heavy team. In contrast to Mississippi State, another run-heavy team LSU has seen, the wealth is much more spread throughout the depth chart. Auburn has four different running backs with over 10 carries on the season.
Jarquez Hunter leads the running back room with 50 carries for 202 rushing yards and two touchdowns. While he gets a lot of carries, many of his attempts are for short gains.
His longest run of the season is just 19 yards. Similarly, Brian Battie and Damari Alston also get considerable reps, and many of their carries are also for short gains.
Where Auburn sets itself apart is at quarterback. Payton Thorne, a transfer from Michigan State, is the primary quarterback; he has completed 59 of his 94 pass attempts for 643 passing yards and four touchdowns. He’s also run the ball for 198 yards on 45 carries for two touchdowns.
When Thorne is controlled in the run game, Auburn may resort to its running backs and also quarterback Robby Ashford, who started against LSU last season.
Ashford often comes in at quarterback when Auburn gets in the red zone. He has five rushing touchdowns on the season on 27 carries for 134 yards. He has arguably been more of a force in the red zone than any Auburn running back this season.
Away from the run game, Jay Fair leads the receiver room with 196 receiving yards on 18 catches along with two touchdowns. Rivaldo Fairweather is right behind with 145 receiving yards on 15 catches along with a score.
Auburn’s offense can be compared to Mississippi State’s in many ways, but what makes them more of a threat is that they have more options.
Auburn is also a “small ball” type of team; the offense rarely has a breakaway run or pass for a large gain. In fact, Thorne has the longest run of the season for Auburn with a 61-yard run against Georgia.
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Auburn will attack with the run and attack slowly. A slow attack has been the role Auburn has played in the Southeastern Conference this season. Against Georgia, Auburn was tied with Georgia 20-20 in the fourth quarter.
Alongside two field goals, its two touchdowns were for runs less than 10 yards: a five-yard run from Hunter and a nine-yard run from Ashford.
The key to stopping Auburn is to stop its main threats in the run game and force Thorne to throw the ball. While its pass game isn’t terrible, it’s a phase Auburn doesn’t feel totally comfortable in.
Overall, making Auburn uncomfortable on offense is just what LSU needs. LSU’s defense has been its weak point in decisive games this season. If the defense can find an edge, the offense is capable of picking up their momentum from the past few games.
