AUBURN — Marquel Harrell didn't plan to celebrate.

Auburn rushed for 429 yards, a major improvement from Week 1. That was priority No. 1 coming into the Alabama State game. After the 63-9 victory, there were plenty of reasons for the Tigers to unwind and enjoy the win despite it coming against an FCS foe.

That wasn't in the cards for Auburn's starting left guard. Not with LSU less than a week away.

"Oh yeah, it starts tonight. I'm not going to bed tonight until I watch two LSU games," Harrell said Saturday night. "I'll probably watch a couple games tonight, then wake up early tomorrow to go watch some film and get better."

Auburn players might not say it publicly, but this game — against a team that nearly derailed the 2017 season — means more.

The historically heated rivalry has picked up the last two years.

Two seasons ago, it was Auburn who ripped out the hearts of LSU in the waning moments in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Last year, the script flipped as the Bayou Bengals came back from a double-digit second-half deficit to defeat Gus Malzahn & Co.

If anyone believed this year would be any different, Malzahn had a different message in mind.

"LSU is an outstanding team, I think that anyone who saw them play against Miami can say that. So it will be a traditional Auburn-LSU game," Malzahn said. "I think everybody knows that. It’s always a good game when we play. It’s a big game, it’s a big game for the (SEC West). We are going to get their best, and they are going to get our best, and I’m glad we are playing at home."

Outside of Malzahn, however, you'll be hard pressed to find Auburn commentary this week talking up the LSU game.

Take senior linebacker Deshaun Davis, for instance.

On Saturday, when asked about LSU week upcoming, Davis gave an Arya Stark-level reaction to the approach this team will take heading into its first SEC game of the 2018 season.

"Our opponent has no face," Davis said. "We prepare for LSU like we prepare for Alabama State, Alabama, or Georgia. Auburn is going to be Auburn whoever we play. We don’t want to go out and have a great practice because we play LSU and go out and have an OK practice because we play someone else. Coach [Kevin] Steele emphasizes our opponent doesn’t have a face. We want to be Auburn."