Keys to victory: Five reasons why Auburn could upset LSU

Tigers look for their second win in Baton Rouge in this decade.

Author:
Steve Simpson
Publish date:
Oct 13, 2023 6:26 PM EDT

In this story:

Getting a win in Death Valley on a Saturday night is a tough ask. Auburn was able to do that in their last visit to Tiger Stadium behind an outstanding personal performance from Bo Nix. For this Tiger team to duplicate that feat these five at least three of these five things need to happen.

Turnovers

Auburn must win the turnover battle. The Tigers defense has done a great job this year of forcing turnovers. They will need at least two Saturday night, and one needs to result in points.

Third Downs

Third down situations have been an issue for both sides of the ball this year. The offense can’t seem to convert them at a high enough rate and the defense can’t seem to get consistent stops on third downs. That will have to drastically improve in Baton Rouge.

Passing offense

This has been the biggest mystery of the season so far. Why has a three thousand yard passer from the Big 10 only managed to put up a paltry 643 yards through five games in the SEC? For Auburn to beat LSU, Thorne needs to throw for at least 225 yards and 2 scores.

Receivers

Speaking of the passing game, the receiving corps has got to step up and make tough catches when the team needs them. There several well thrown balls in the last couple of games that were not caught by the receivers. Against the worst pass defense in the league, this receiving corps has a great opportunity to step up and make plays. If they can’t get it done against this LSU defense, then who can they get it done against?

Pass Rush

Auburn’s defense is a bit under rated this year, as they have been outstanding compared to pre-season expectations The one area they need the most improvement at is the pass rush against an elite quarterback like Jayden Daniela, the Tiger’s will need to be able to pressure on him and limit his scrambling ability. That pressure needs to come from the defensive line more, so that Auburn is not relying on defensive backs to bring pressure. Eugene Asante, Marcus Harris and Keldric Faulk need to deliver for an Auburn victory.