Senior tight end DeSean Smith couldn’t remember the final score from No. 18 LSU’s last trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.
“Forty-two to something, I think,” he recalled.
On the walls of the LSU indoor practice facility, two pages of computer paper hang with two numbers typed in large font.
Now he remembers.
“41-7.”
The sheets of paper around the facility are a reminder of the smacking LSU received from Auburn two seasons ago and serve as a motivational tool.
Two losses in senior wide receiver Travin Dural’s career stick out in his mind.
One being a 63-point shutout loss to Acadiana High School during his prep ball days at Breaux Bridge High School.
The other?
The 34-point thrashing Auburn delivered to LSU on Oct. 4, 2014.
“That was one of the worst games [I’ve] ever been a part of,” Dural said. “I’m hoping we never go through that again.”
Auburn opened the game by scoring four straight touchdowns, and LSU found itself in a 28-7 deficit by halftime. Auburn (1-2, 0-1 SEC) gashed LSU for 566 yards of total offense, the most in the series history, while LSU only totaled 280 yards.
The 34-point margin of victory tied for the most in the 50-game series history.
“The receivers weren’t getting open,” Dural said of the loss. “We weren’t helping out Brandon [Harris]. The running game wasn’t what it should’ve been because the passing game wasn’t working. They just beat us up all around, from the receivers, to the running backs, to the line, to the tackles.”
Junior, now reserve quarterback Harris entered in Jordan-Hare Stadium and made his first career start in front of 87,451 noisy Auburn fans. The then-freshman was replaced by former quaterback Anthony Jennings after only completing 3-of-14 passes for 58 yards.
“The night was awful from start to finish,” Harris said defeatedly after the game. “I came out and played terrible. I can’t even put a grade on it.”
Senior defensive end Lewis Neal was 22 pounds lighter, then, too. He played out of position during that 2014 game, and after playing in a hostile environment such as Auburn, Neal doesn’t want LSU to end up with the same results on Saturday.
“I made sure that the guys playing now know what the atmosphere is and go in there and be ready,” Neal said. “Just make sure you know when you’re going there — be ready to play some ball.”
Now, Auburn isn’t in the same position it was two seasons ago. Auburn finds itself with a losing record, and haven’t won an SEC home game since October 2014. But LSU still isn’t taking them lightly.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game,” Dural said. “We can’t overlook any game. We know they’re going to come out and play hard.”