The LSU Game (3)

Here we go again with two 7 & 0 teams at Jordan-Hare with a 2:30 kickoff. LSU has the number #1 defense in the conference. Auburn is first in offense. Most likely LSU will try and jam the box, single cover our receivers, and stop Cam Newton and our running game. LSU likes to run the ball. Let's hope our defense can at slow down their running game. LSU is supposed to be not as good throwing the ball. It's so good see that ocean of orange in our stadium on TV. There's so much talk about Cam Newton. Today will be a big challenge for him with their strong defense. Can Auburn play 4 quarters?

FIRST QUARTER

LSU wins the toss and puts AU on offense first.
Auburn starts on the 36 after a good return by Demond Washington.
The Tigers come up a yard short and have to punt.
After a good punt LSU starts on their 12
LSU mounts an impressive drive with continuous short gains, punching out first downs.
It's not flashy but effective so far mixing runs with short passes.
LSU is first down at the AU 37.
Auburn needs to start winning first down.
On 3rd and 8 Zac Etheridge gets the pick! The defense comes up with the first big play. And as Stan White says, "There are no penalities!"
AU is on their 47 after the big defensive play.
The Tigers drive for the touchdown in impressive fashion. Only one short pass in the drive.
From the 16 Dyer crashes down to the 1.
Newton runs it from there, running OVER an LSU defender at the goal line.

Auburn 7 LSU 0

LSU starts at the 28.
LSU is running the fooball. It's discouraging to see them running ball so well. If we can't stop their run we're in trouble.
Where is our run defense? LSU is not doing anything fancy.
3rd and 13 on the AU 33 and the gain is 2 yards.
LSU makes the 48-yard FG. We hold them to 3 with the long field goal. It turns out to be a win on defense.

Auburn 7 LSU 3

The quarter ends with AU driving again up 7 to 3.

SECOND QUARTER

The drive stalls at the 25 two yards short of the first and Byrum makes the 43-yard FG early in the second quarter.

Auburn 10 LSU 3

LSU starts a drive with Lee now their QB.
After a big sack from around midfield, LSU punts and the ball rolls to the one. Carr doesn't fair catch the ball and it rolls from the 16 to 1. Quindarius Carr makes a big mistake with 8:08 left in the half.
Newton runs to the 6.
Newton runs to the 9.
McCalebb picks up the first down to the 13. Good run.
Newton runs the QB draw to the AU 44.
The drive stalls at the LSU 22 and Byrum misses a 39 FG attempt. Tough.
Seven or three there would have great going into the half.
LSU tries to mount a drive from their 23.
Nick Fairly at least temporarily knocks Lee out of the game.
AU gets a facemask penalty to give LSU the ball at the AU 49.
Jefferson runs to the AU 35.
Fairly is hurt as he sacks Jefferson at the 40.
1:22 left.
LSU has a wide-open receiver but he drops the ball.
Jordan runs for the first down on a third and long. Bad, bad defensive lapse.
LSU threatens for the TD.
We give a third and long----how many times has AU yielded on third and long. We got good pressure but their QB escaped for a long first down run.
Jordan Jefferson runs right from the 2 with 19 seconds left as Bates misses what would have been a half-ending play for the touchdown. Bates does what so many Auburn defenders have done all year: he lunges at the opposing player rather than keeping his feet and making the tackle.
This happened as the play clcok stood at zero, but it's not reviewable. LSU gets lucky.
Stan White says, "How do you miss that?"
LSU will have all of the momentum and will get the ball to start the second half.
The TV clearly shows LSU starting that last play with the play clock at zero.
We go into the half tied. Auburn had their chances. We missed the 39-yd. FG. We let LSU off the hook on that last drive on a 3rd and 17, and Bates missed a tackle he should have made that would have kept LSU out of the end zone.
The thing I do not understand is Auburn's continued poor tackling. Just don't understand it because it seems to me it's a matter of proper coaching.

Auburn 10 LSU 10 at the half

THIRD QUARTER

We hold LSU on their first possession of the half. There's another good LSU punt.
The Tigers start on their 9. A penalty pushes the ball back to the 5. There is a good run by Mike Dyer, and THEN Cam Newton makes an electrifying 49-yd. run to the end zone. What a physical, twisting run for glory! If Cam Newton is not the best college football player in America, I should would like to know who is. That's a 3 play 91 yard drive.

Auburn 17 LSU 10

LSU goes 3 and out. The Tigers start on the 20.
I just the officials don't find a way to give this game to LSU.
3rd and 5 from the 25.
Complete pass to Darvin Adams to the 37.
Another complete pass to Zachary.
Fanin fumbles again and LSU has the ball at their 44.
Wow. Fanin fumbles AGAIN as the Auburn offense is moving the ball. Wow.
That's huge. Our offense is in rhythm and Fanin fumbles. I don't understand why he fumbles and why they give him the ball. It happens over and over again.
The thing too is that he wasn't hit hard.
We can move the ball on this defense. That is clear, but turnovers can negate everything.
Jefferson runs for 16 as our defense loses containment on their QB. It looks too easy. I don't understand how we cannot contain their scrmabling QB.
The Tigers hold at the AU 38.
LSU punts to the AU one yard line. The LSU player catches the ball at the two.
The Tigers are backed up at the two after a great punt.
Auburn punts from their 6. Dyer caught a pass at the 7 and was pushed back into the end zone and the officials place the ball at the one. A totally bizarre call by these officials.
LSU starts from their 47.
So far LSU has exactly one first down in the third quarter.
4 plus minutes left in the third.
LSU goes 3 and out. Our defense holds again.
LSU punts again.
LSU punts again to the Auburn one as LSU saves the ball from going into the end zone.
LSU's best weapon in this second half has been their punter.
3:10 left in the third as AU is on the one.
Newton gains 9 to the 10.
Dyer is stopped and it's 3rd and short.
Newton runs for the first. He's hard to stop without some kind of gain.
Dyer gains 9.
Wow! Dyer pushes and pushes and gains 10 when it should have been a 2-yd. gain.
The third quarter ends with our Tigers up 17 to 10.

FOURTH QUARTER

The final stanza starts with AU leading 17 to 10 with 2nd 7 from our 37.
But Auburn has to punt from the 35.
We had a 3rd and 2 and Newton goes does well not to lose a bunch. I don't understand that play. We try to catch LSU sleeping rather than pound for 2 yards. I don't understand it. Strange call to say the least.
We have a poor punt and LSU has good field position.
Auburn stops Auburn. LSU has not stopped us.
LSU has much better special teams play than us. This is the only phase of the game where they have beaten us.
13:29 left and LSU starts at midfield.
LSU runs to the AU 39.
LSU gets a 39-yd TD pass on a halfback pass.
LSU scores on some trickeration.

Auburn 17 LSU 17

Well, I suppose this is what we expected.
The last AU possession baffles me. 3rd and 2 and we try to throw?
Just when you think AU is in command, something happens.
Now our offense HAS to score again.
The Tigers start on the 20.
Dyer runs to the 27.
Newton to the 29.
Newton to the 33 for the first down.
10:55 to go with a TO.
Newton to the LSU 44.
Dyer for 1.
Newton is a yard short of the first down.
AU is called for holding---what a costly penalty on 3rd and short for the first down. Unbelievable.
Big call there.
Fanin to the 39.
4th & 6 and Auburn is going for it!
Incomplete pass. The ball goes over to LSU.
Adams was open but the pass was not good.
LSU is at their own 40.
They've only scored in this half on a trick play.
THIS IS A CRITICAL POINT IN THE GAME.
A holding call on a 3rd and 2 run for a first down stopped this drive. The officials stopped us again.
How many times have we had critical, critical penalities at crucial times.
LSU at their 40 with 7:51 left.
A big surge drops the LSU runner for a 3-yd. loss.
A complete pass and we've got 3rd and 6.
Fairly drops the LSU QB for a big loss.
Nick Fairly is a beast!
LSU punts!
Carr lets the ball go again and the ball rolls dead at the Auburn 10.
If LSU wins this game, they will have won it with their kicking game.
Newton runs to the 26.
Dyer runs to the 30 with 5:30 to go.
THEN MCCALLEBB TAKES IT TO THE HOUSE. 70 YARDS ON THE SPEED SWEEP WITH 5:05 TO GO.
The Tigers go 90 yards in 3 plays. McCalebb, McCalebb, McCalebb!

Auburn 24 LSU 17

Auburn answers LSU again. Auburn has over 500 yards total offense so far against the NUMBER ONE defense in the SEC.
Now it's up the defense to make one more stop.
LSU starts on the 25.
There a 4 yard completion.
No gain on a rush. Blue jersies everywhere.
Incomplete pass!
4th and 6 from their 30 and they go for it.
LSU looks terrible on the 4th down play and AU stuffs the QB on a short gain and the Tigers hold!!!
Newton for an 8 yard gain.
First down by Newton!
Newton to the 17 as the clock winds down to 2:07 and LSU's last timeout. Newton almost breaks it.
Newton to the 7 for the first down.
That's your game. This first down ices it.
The game ends with AU taking a knee at the LSU 3. Newton takes that knee and that does it.

Now there is only ONE undfeated team in the SEC. It's the Auburn Tigers.
LSU has exactly 115 yards rushing.
523 to 243 is the total yard difference.
The Tigers have 440 yards rushing to a team that was giving up only 83 per game.

All we heard this week was talk about the LSU defense. No more!