Published Oct 25, 2019
Previewing LSU: Q&A with a Bayou Bengals writer
circle avatar
Nathan King  •  AuburnSports
Staff
Twitter
@byNathanKing

With No. 9 Auburn and No. 2 LSU on a collision course, our Nathan King caught up with TigerDetails.com's Ron Higgins to break down the matchup. 

NK: LSU's offense has been downright unstoppable. Are there any weaknesses teams have been able to exploit at all this season?

RH: Honestly, not really. The difficulty of LSU's offense is it makes adjustments after the ball is snapped. The receivers read defenses on the run and adjust their routes accordingly. Quarterback Joe Burrow knows where receivers are adjusting the routes to and he adjusts. When you pressure Burrow, he has the ability to slide sideways or forward in the pocket to make throws and he has a nice little pep in his step when he scrambles for rushing yardage.

NK: Joe Burrow has ascended all the way to the Heisman favorite right now. Besides the addition of Joe Brady's schemes, what has Burrow changed about his game from a year ago that's made him so successful?

RH: Just the fact Burrow has been able to work with receivers for eight months leading to the season opener has helped him tremendously When he arrived on campus late in the summer of 2018 after transferring from Ohio State, he barely had time to even learn the names of the receivers. Now, he knows them so well that he said he can even tell by their body language which direction they will break a route.

Advertisement

NK: LSU's defensive front hasn't gotten as much love this season as the secondary, but it's still one of the better groups in the nation. What do they do best, and who are some players to watch on that side of the ball?

RH: The front four has struggled to get a pass rush, but it has been fairly stout against the run ranking second in the SEC in rushing defense. Easily the most overlooked defensive lineman is sophomore nose tackle Tyler Shelvin, a 6-3, 322-pound hole plugger who often occupies two blockers. Even with that most of the time, his 21 tackles on the year rank him second among defensive linemen. Also, junior defensive end Glen Logan, now that he's healthy again, is a disruptor.

Outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson is at his best as a 6-4, 238-pound pass rusher off the edge. In his last two games against Florida and Mississippi State since returning from injury, he had a combined 10 tackles, three losses including a sack, a pass breakup and two QB hurries.

NK: On the other side: Who are some X-factors for LSU's offense not named Burrow, Jefferson, Chase or Marshall?

RH: LSU's offensive line has improved every game. Not only have they kept Burrow relatively clean, but they've done a nice job opening holes for running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Tyrion Davis-Price. Edwards-Helaire, a junior, is 5-9, 212-pound low-to-the-ground bowling ball who most of the time has to be gang tackled to be brought down. When he eventually gets a breather, Davis-Price, a 6-1, 226-pound power running freshman, is tough between the tackles.

NK: What are the keys to an Auburn upset?

RH: Auburn's SEC leading rushing attack has to be able to move the ball and control the clock to not only score but keep LSU's offense off the field and even sometimes that doesn't work. LSU had the ball just 45 plays against Florida, but averaged 10.6 yards per snap in a 42-28 win.

NK: Who wins, and why?

RH: I'm going LSU 31, Auburn 20. I've seen defenses stop LSU a couple of possessions in a row and start feeling good about themselves. Then, LSU will score on a 3-play, 70-yard possession in about 90 seconds. I know this -- if Auburn wins it's not because LSU overlooked the visitors with Alabama coming up in two weeks.

This entire LSU team knows how good Auburn is and has immense respect for the War Eagles. LSU understands this is the best team it has played so far this season.

NOT A MEMBER?

JOIN AUBURNSPORTS.COM TODAY to enjoy around-the-clock content including stories, analysis, videos, podcasts, call-in shows and The Greatest Message Board In The History of The Internet.

Also check out our LSU site at TIGERDETAILS.COM.