Back in action

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AUBURN, Ala. | After sitting out last week's game against Jacksonville State, junior offensive lineman Avery Young is back at practice and expected to start at LSU.

"He's practiced both days and done well," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said.

Young is not the only injured player back in action this week. Running back Jovon Robinson also missed the JSU game with an ankle injury.

"He's having a good week of practice right now," Lashlee said. "I think that's a positive sign."

Overall, Lashlee said the Tigers have had a good week of practice as they prepare for a trip to LSU, where they haven't won since 1999.

"Guys have been really focused," Lashlee said. "First SEC opponent and they know of course we're going to play in a very hostile environment, so they've been locked in. We've had two really good days."

No. 18 Auburn (2-0) will open SEC play at LSU (1-0) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.

MORE FROM LASHLEE

On D'haquille Williams playing against his home-state team...

"You hear that every time, you always get that question. I haven't said a word to him this week and I'm not aware that Dameyune has. He's practicing well. He looks like he's focused like the rest of the guys. It's his home state so you know it means something to him, but at the end of the day we're playing ball."

On getting Williams more involved...

"We want to get everybody more involved and that has to do with a lot of things. It has to do with the entire offense. When the entire system is successful everybody is going to be successful. We targeted him plenty of times last game. Sometimes it's a matter of catching the ball, sometimes it's a matter of making the right throw and sometimes they take it away. Obviously we need to get a lot of guys involved and get them going and if you're running your system right it may be a different guy every game. There's a reason Ricardo had 10 catches and he only had two, kind of the way they were playing us a little bit. As coaches we can do some things to try to work that out too."

On wide receiver Jason Smith...

"Of course he made the big catch in the first game that got called back. Getting him involved is definitely on our minds, and that goes back to getting more guys involved so we can have everybody fresh when the game is on the line."

On the production at the receiver position...

"We've got to do a better job of playing more guys and managing those guys to where one guy is not playing 70 plays. And when you get to the fourth quarter of the game, it may be we need to keep them fresh throughout the whole game. We've got some of other guys we believe in and we've got to do a better job managing that in a game."

On running back Peyton Barber...

"I know this, in the two games we've played Peyton Barber has shown great toughness and he's shown that he wants to win and he's shown that we can trust him. When the game has been on the line he's been at his best. Right now I've got a lot of confidence in Peyton and I don't doubt anything with him."

On left tackle Shon Coleman...

"I think he's doing well. I think he's playing really well. He's leading our team in knockdowns."

On Tyler Queen having elbow surgery...

"Tyler has the mental foundation of what we're doing so it is not foreign to him. We just felt like, look right now he's not someone we're counting on this season but he's someone that can help us in the future. Let's get him healthy so in the spring and summer of next year he can be competing to help us."