Auburn at LSU – Keys to the Game a. My Cadillac purrs like a kitten…more like a Tiger – Auburn’s ‘Cadillac’ Williams is starting to get revved up (man, we writers love that nickname, it is almost too easy). For a guy that is about as big as my left leg, he is one powerful running back. Although he is not near as big as a guy like TA McClendon, he has a similar running style, which some say has led to season ending injuries in his first two years. Unfortunately for LSU, the Cadillac’s oil is changed and he is racking up big mileage on the ground. But, Williams is not the only back in the Tiger stable, former JUCO star Brandon Jacobs ran the ball 31 times against Mississippi State and creates ‘huge’ (and I stress the huge part) problems for defenses. Williams is cat quick with great vision, makes you miss but can power through tacklers, if necessary. Jacobs, on the other hand, is pure power. He is running down hill from jump, and in the fourth quarter, who the heck wants to tackle this 6’4” 257 lb. ‘stud’? Auburn’s offensive line has looked so much better, more confident, firing off the football with more explosiveness than earlier in the season, and against LSU’s defensive line, led by All-SEC DT Chad Lavalais, they get a chance to redeem themselves for the debacle that occurred against USC’s Wild Bunch. Lavalais, Marcus Spears, and Marquise Hill make up one of the best defensive lines in the SEC, but against this offense, the linebackers are key. Lionel Turner and his mates must keep themselves from getting blocked and must defeat FB Jake Slaughter at the point of attack to keep the Cadillac in the shop, if you will. Furthermore, Williams is one of the best cutback runners in the SEC, so backside LBs have to be ultra-disciplined to keep Williams from making a killing on cutback runs. LSU DC Will Muschamp is one of the best young defensive minds in college football, and he will have his DL ‘stemming’ to confuse that Auburn offensive front and slanting to get into the Auburn backfield, as USC did earlier this year to Auburn. b. The Rookies – LSU’s offense has really not clicked this year, as OC Jimbo Fisher would have liked, but due to some injuries to starting RBs Shyrone Carey and Joseph Addai, the Tigers ‘found’ their running game in the form of three talented freshmen: Alley Broussard, Chris Vincent, and Barrington Edwards. Broussard is more of a power back, a down hill runner who is more likely to run you over in the secondary than make you miss. Vincent is more shake than power…get him the ball in space and he will make a defender look silly. Edwards, although he got a little garbage time at the end of the South Carolina game, is seemingly a combination of the two – power and speed, but is unfortunately stuck behind some very talented running backs. Running behind an experienced offensive line, these three rookies are capable of putting up some big numbers, but against this Auburn defense, they are a big key. Although each one of them is a great runner, pass protection for a freshman is kind of taking calculus after having some of your favorite beverages, if you know what I mean. To mitigate the risk of blown assignments in the pass protection, Fisher has taken to calling a myriad of counter boots and waggles to keep Broussard, et al from having to ‘participate’ in the protection. LSU QB Matt Mauck is a good athlete who throws the ball well on the run, but it does limit the production of the LSU receiving trio. Fisher has put two of the running backs in the backfield at the same time, but mostly in passing situations, where both have been receivers and not protectors. Knowing that LSU will have trouble picking up the blitz, expect to see Karlos Dansby and Dontarrious Thomas making a bee-line to Mauck on the blitz, in particular Dansby, who seems to have a knack for little things like hitting the LOS just perfect on a blitz, anticipating the snap count with the best of them. As with the Michigan game, LSU can utilize the slip screen to one of the rookies or the tunnel screen to Devery Henderson or Skyler Green if Auburn is harassing Mauck incessantly. Also, in a game of this magnitude, the rookies have to take care of the ball, put the pill on the ground…and this one is over. c. A little gumbo with a side of Clayton – Maybe it was Aristotle…or maybe Santana Moss that once said “Big players make big plays in big games.” Well, the biggest player in this game is #14 Michael Clayton. Opponents know how great he is, so he is seeing double coverage and is a victim of his own success, if you will. If Clayton played for Texas Tech, he would probably have a 100 catches already this season, but playing for LSU, he is only going to see the ball eight to ten times a game. That is just dead wrong! If I were Jimbo Fisher, Clayton would see that many balls in the first two drives of the game. He is fearless and goes across the middle with no fear, but why are we not seeing Clayton running deep routes, taking advantage of his 6’4” size and great hands on deep balls? Green and Henderson are very quick and are utilized to stretch the defense, but neither one of them possesses the skill that Mr. Clayton does. Let Clayton stretch the defense. Throw him the quick screen. Throw him the tunnel screen. Make the best player on your team, the most important player on your team. If Fisher continues to use him as a decoy, so to speak, let him loose on defense. Jack Hunt, the talented LSU safety, is gamely playing with a bulky knee brace, and does not look fully healthy. Why not use Clayton to play some safety, to lurk in the middle? He is not afraid to make tackles, check out his ‘hits’ on special teams. Carl Pickens with a good attitude…that is Clayton. He has to have the opportunity to play up to his talent level. Conclusion: Saturday night…Franklin-Gottfried…Cajun tailgate…SEC West battle for first…IT DOES NOT GET BETTER THAN THIS! As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Auburn was getting hot at the right time, but LSU looked pedestrian at home against the Gators. Even though, LSU looked much better against South Carolina, the offense is a concern. Matt Mauck has not played particularly well, and this Auburn defense does not give you much. Williams, Jacobs and the Tigers O Line will wear down a tough, game LSU defense, if Jason Campbell is able to do anything at all in the passing game. Don’t expect too many points, but Auburn will have more at 00:00 – Auburn – 21 vs. LSU – 20.
CFN Game of the Week Auburn (5-2) at LSU (6-1) - 7:45 pm EST ESPN Why to watch: Well alright. Now this is looking like the SEC West showdown we've all been waiting for. Things were a bit sketchy for a while as Auburn gacked in its first two games and LSU looked lousy against Florida, but the Tigers (the Auburn version) turned things around with a five-game winning streak and the Tigers (the Bayou edition) looked fantastic in a blowout win over South Carolina. While Ole Miss and Arkansas are still in the mix (and then some), the winner of this game should be the favorite to represent the West in the SEC title game. Why Auburn might win: The Auburn run defense continues to rock only allowing 93 yards per game. LSU's running game might not be up to snuff with leading rusher Joseph Addai most likely out with a knee injury and backup Shyrone Carey still hurting. Quarterback Matt Mauck was able to shine against South Carolina with one of the best games of his career, and he might have to come through again. Why LSU might win: Two words: Jason Campbell. With all they hype and publicity that Carnell Williams has received on his amazing three-game tear, LSU's number one run defense is going to be extra fired up to try and put the Cadillac into the garage. If the Auburn ground game isn't rolling, can Campbell make LSU pay with his arm? He hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in two games and hasn't been pressed to make too many big plays. Who to watch: In what should be a defensive battle, it could be up to the Baby Bayou Backs to step up again. Freshmen Alley Broussard, Justin Vincent and Barrington Edwards combined for 222 yards and two touchdowns against South Carolina. With starting left guard Nate Livings out, the line will have to be extra sharp and the young backs extra good against the Auburn D. What will happen: The Fourth Annual Can't Miss Pick: The Tigers will win. LSU has looked like national title contenders in every game other than the Florida debacle and should find just enough momentum at home to pull off the defensive battle. Could this be Earthquake Game II with a last second score? Maybe. CFN Prediction: LSU 17 ... Auburn 13 Final Score: Lines Oasis: LSU -3.5 | BetonSports: LSU -3.5 | Carib: LSU -3.5 Must See Rating: (5 must see - 1 According to Jim) ... 5
Nice post 'numa. A lot of prognosticators are parroting my words that I put on AUN (pre-banishment), that is, make Campbell beat you, which hopefully is the game plan. IMO, I'd rather take my chances with JC, stack the line against the run, go man to man with auburn's receivers and have JC beat me than have Williams running wild. If it plays out that way, LSU will win.
