It was a game of special teams blunders, yet it was the special teams that decided the outcome. Junior Chris Jackson nailed a 30-yard field goal in overtime as LSU (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) snuck past Auburn 20-17 Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
After LSU led the conference in penalty yardage at 87.6 yards per game, the Tigers committed just five penalties for 30 yards. LSU also did not turn the ball over for the first time this season. The Tigers have won four conference games in a row, beginning with an Oct. 1 win at Mississippi State.
“It was a team victory,” Miles said. “Offense, defense and special teams all contributed to this victory. It’s what we needed.”
Addai led LSU with 105 yards on 24 carries. It was his fourth 100-yard rushing game this season. Russell finished the game going 16 of 33 for 190 yards and one touchdown, all with a sprained ligament in his throwing hand.
“Coach [Jimbo] Fisher talks about the difference between being good and being great,” Russell said. “You have to fight through the pain. And I think I did a good job fighting through it in the second half.”
Auburn (5-2, 3-1 SEC) won five in a row before Saturday night’s loss. Auburn running back Kenny Irons finished with 218 yards on the ground, including his 74-yard run that no LSU defender seemed to be able to stop.
“About three or four of us thought we had him,” junior defensive end Chase Pittman said. “He just came free. We had him by the shirt tail, but that didn’t last too long.”
Senior Kyle Williams said Irons was a strong runner.
“He ran the ball really hard,” Williams said. “You have to give me credit for that.”
LSU got on the board first after senior Skyler Green returned a punt 66 yards to go ahead 7-0 with 5:20 remaining in the first quarter. Auburn responded with a field goal in the second quarter by junior kicker John Vaughn.
That score would remain until midway through the third quarter when Irons got away from four LSU tacklers to take the ball 74 yards downfield for the score.
With Auburn ahead 10-7, LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell responded on the ensuing drive after tossing an 18-yard touchdown to junior Dwayne Bowe to retake the lead, 14-10.
Late in the fourth quarter, Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox put together a 13-play, 87-yard drive that was capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass to senior Anthony Mix on fourth and goal to give Auburn a 17-14 lead with 4:52 remaining.
Down by three, Russell led LSU back down the field on an 8-play, 48-yard drive, setting up Jackson’s 44-yard field goal to tie the score.
Auburn got the ball back with 1:33 remaining as Cox completed three of five passes, along with a 19-yard run by Irons, to put Auburn in field goal range at the LSU 32-yard-line. Vaughn missed wide left, which was his fourth miss of the game.
LSU received the ball first in overtime. After a seven-yard pass to junior Keith Zinger and a five-yard run by tailback Joseph Addai, LSU could not move the ball any further after two incomplete passes, including a dropped touchdown by sophomore Early Doucet. Jackson then nailed a 30-yard field goal to take the lead for good, 20-17.
Auburn managed just two yards in three plays on its ensuing possession, setting up a missed 39-yard field goal by Vaughn that gave LSU the victory.
“I thought it would be blocked,” Miles said. “But the upright was just a little thicker on that side.”
After beating Auburn, the Tigers are second in the SEC West. LSU’s next conference game is on Nov. 12 against division leader Alabama.
“We haven’t played our best game yet,” Miles said. “That’s what we’re pushing to.”
Contact Jeff Sentell at [email protected]