Whether it was crashing into metal benches on Auburn’s sideline or filling gaps in the run game, LSU junior safety JaCoby Stevens was everywhere for the Tigers once again.
For his efforts, the Southeastern Conference named Stevens SEC Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week.
Stevens led LSU with 10 tackles in a 23-20 win over No. 9 Auburn on Saturday. LSU held Auburn and freshman quarterback Bo Nix to 287 yards of offense, and the majority of those yards came on two rushes by running back DJ Williams.
Williams broke a 40-yard run right before halftime, but freshman cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted Nix’s pass to prevent Auburn from scoring. 
Then to open the second half, Williams found a hole on the left side of LSU’s defense and raced 70 yards downfield before being pushed out of bounds by junior safety Grant Delpit.
Stevens was responsible for Williams’ 70-yard run, thinking Nix pulled it on an RPO and abandoned his gap to play the pass.
But Stevens made up for it later in the half with Auburn’s offense backed up to its own end zone. On third-and-10 from Auburn’s 2-yard line, Stevens shot through a hole created by nose tackle Tyler Shelvin and stopped Williams for a minuscule gain to force a punt.
“They ran that same exact insert play, and they thought they could do it again,” Stevens said. “After [Williams’ 70-yard run] I told them they’re not going to do that again. I’m not going to let them have it again.”
In the fourth quarter, Stevens broke up a pass on Auburn’s sideline and went crashing into the visitor’s bench. He left for a brief period but eventually came back.
Stevens joked the collision with the bench “definitely wasn’t comfortable,” but he still managed to finish with three more tackles after returning.
The junior has 18 tackles, a sack and an interception over the past two weeks and was named defensive player of the week for his play against Mississippi State and Auburn.
Stevens in second on the team with 49 tackles and two interceptions.