AUBURN | Terrace Marshall Jr. is just the latest top wide receiver to come up short against Auburn.

The SEC’s leading receiver and third-leading scorer was held in check by the AU secondary throughout a 48-11 drubbing of LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“You know every time the challenge is up, I’m ready for it,” said nickel Christian Tutt. “So, you know, going out there, and you know kinda shutting guys down, I love to do that. It was all in the game plan so we went out there and executed.”

Marshall Jr. came into Saturday’s game with 27 receptions for 512 yards and nine touchdowns in four games. He was averaging nearly seven catches for 128 yards and more than two touchdowns per game.

But Tutt and his defensive back teammates held the junior to just four catches for 28 yards.

A week earlier, Auburn held Ole Miss’ Elijah Moore, who is second in the SEC averaging 118.2 receiving yards per game, to five catches for 16 yards.

“We just tried to prove that we have one of the best secondaries in the SEC, and we're just trying to improve every week, taking it game-by-game,” said cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett.

It was Pritchett and Tutt that provided a couple of key, momentum-swinging plays against LSU.

Just three plays after AU’s Seth Williams fumbled into the end zone for a touchback, Pritchett intercepted LSU quarterback TJ Finley and returned it 48 yards to the LSU 4-yard line. Bo Nix connected with Eli Stove for a touchdown on the next play to give AU a 7-0 lead.

Later in the second quarter, Finley was sacked by Derick Hall and fumbled, Tutt plucked the ball off the turf, broke a tackle and raced 20 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

“We had the ball down there to Seth, and we're on the what, one- or two-yard line, and they reviewed it. He didn't step out of bounds, and we lost the ball. That was a big momentum,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “Then the next series, that's when we had the interception that you know went down to the five-yard line. We were able to run the football in I think then. Then we had the strip sack and Christian picked it up and went house call on it.

“The momentum really swung hard our way. We could feel it, and I think they could feel it.”

Defensive end Big Kat Bryant added a second interception on a tipped pass by defensive tackle DaQuan Newkirk, which led to a touchdown five plays later.

All three of LSU’s turnovers led to touchdowns as the defense held the visitors to 32 yards rushing and 5 of 17 on third downs.

“(Kevin) Steele preaches about playing hard-nosed football and getting off the field on third down, so we just came out and executed,” Pritchett said.

Auburn will be off next weekend before playing at Mississippi State Nov. 14.