A dominant start by LSU, particularly running back Jeremy Hill who broke his surpassed his career best performance after just a handful of runs, catapulted the Tigers over Auburn with a 35-21 win.
The victory provided a strong statement for LSU as they open SEC conference play. Hill finished the game with 183 yards and 3 touchdowns although most of his production came in the first quarter.
With a 21-0 start for the Tigers, it was Auburn who, despite an atrocious first half performance, controlled the second half. Nick Marshall, who finished the game with 224 passing yards and 46 yards rushing, also started to click towards the end of the contest despite errant passing at the start.
LSU’s victory, and the manner of their first half performance, vaults them firmly back into the national title conversation. For Auburn, the silver lining is the amount of resilience showed by a team that was completely outclassed at the onset. The toughness they showed in the second half showed they could be competitive in the SEC West.
The Bayou Bengals will play at Georgia next week in what figures to be a very tough contest while the Auburn Tigers will enjoy a bye before what figures to be an important battle in the middle of the conference against the Ole Miss Rebels.