BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU is looking unbeatable behind its explosive offense but is entering a two-game stretch that promises to define its season. The third-ranked LSU Tigers will try not to get caught looking ahead when they host the No. 10 Auburn Tigers on Saturday.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: LSU -10.5
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LSU, which visits top-ranked Alabama in its next game on Nov. 9, recorded a season low in points with a 36-13 victory at Mississippi State last weekend and leads the SEC while ranking second nationally in scoring offense at an average of 50.4 points and is not trying to disguise anything. "Here is what is going to happen," LSU coach Ed Orgeron told reporters. "We're going to run our offense. ... We want to get five receivers out all the time, and that gives (quarterback) Joe (Burrow) obviously a better option, gives us a better option. When you spread guys out, they have to declare man or zone. It's hard to disguise. It gives us a better look. It all starts with protection. If we can beat those guys one-on-one, we'll be fine." Auburn bounced back from its first loss - a 24-13 setback at Florida - by blasting Arkansas 51-10 on the road last week and is ready for another chance against a top-10 opponent. "When you're playing a very talented team that's playing well, it's even bigger of a challenge," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn told reporters. "That's part of it. I've said that's a challenge, but that's a challenge that we need to be ready for."
ABOUT AUBURN (6-1, 3-1 SEC)
Freshman quarterback Bo Nix was picked off three times in the loss at Florida but tightened things up against Arkansas and threw for three touchdowns without an interception while adding a rushing score. Nix threw two of those TD passes to top target Seth Williams (25 receptions, 458 yards, seven TDs), but also found Anthony Schwartz for a 28-yard score and likes how the two receivers compliment each other. "They open up both sides of the field and you can't double both of them," Nix told reporters of Williams and Schwartz. "They're going to get a one-on-one between the two, so you've just got to find it and hit them."
ABOUT LSU (7-0, 3-0)
Burrow leads FBS in points responsible for (188) while ranking second in passing yards (2,484) and passing efficiency (216.2) but is lucky not to have to go against his own team's defensive secondary. Star safety Grant Delpit was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the country's best defensive back, on Monday while fellow safety JaCoby Stevens was tabbed as the SEC's Defensive Player of the Week after eight tackles, a sack and an interception in the win over Mississippi State. "He's great in coverage," Orgeron told reporters of Stevens. "You saw the interception. But pound-for-pound he is the strongest player on our football team. He plays the way the game ought to be played. When you walk off the field, JaCoby is the finest gentleman you've ever seen. When he puts that helmet on, he's very competitive and ferocious. I think he's becoming an excellent football player."
EXTRA POINTS
1. LSU WR Terrace Marshall Jr. (foot) sat out the last three games but is expected back on Saturday.
2. Auburn kickers have converted an NCAA record 304 consecutive PAT attempts.
3. LSU took last season's meeting 22-21 over Auburn on a 42-yard field goal as time expired.
PREDICTION: LSU 38, Auburn 24