AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Sam Leavitt accounted for four touchdowns, including two throws to speedster Jackson Harris, and No. 18 LSU handled Auburn 38-17 on Saturday to end an eight-game, road-losing streak in Southeastern Conference play.
Leavitt completed 32 of 45 passes for a career-high 387 yards, ran for 54 more and played turnover-free football for the second consecutive week. He was equally sharp in a 31-0 victory against Mississippi State last Saturday, throwing for 289 yards and four scores.
LSU (6-2, 4-2 SEC) scored on five of six possessions in the first half to take a commanding 31-10 lead into the locker room. It was the kind of performance fans expected when coach Lane Kiffin took over the Tigers and signed one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the transfer portal.
Harris caught nine passes for 178 yards, scoring on a 10-yard strike and turning a 12-yard crossing route into a 70-yard sprint.
Tight end Trey’Dez Green returned after missing the previous four games with a sprained knee and added five receptions for 50 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown that capped a 95-yard drive in the second quarter.
Leavitt ended LSU’s most impressive half of the season with a 4-yard scoring run with 17 seconds to go before the break.
Auburn (4-3, 2-3) seemed to have a letdown a week after stunning then-No. 1 Georgia on the road.
Coach Alex Golesh’s team never got its ground game going, especially on early downs. It was a recipe for trouble for an offense built to play with a lead.
Byrum Brown completed 15 of 24 passes for 160 yards and was sacked six times. He led Auburn with 21 yards rushing and a touchdown. His long scramble went for 34 yards. Keshaun Singleton added four receptions for 64 yards for the hometown Tigers.
The takeaway
LSU: The visiting Tigers made it clear from the opening series that they weren’t going to let Brown beat them with his legs. He ran for 115 yards and a touchdown against Georgia, but LSU blitzed and spied him early to force him to throw.
Auburn: The hometown Tigers were competitive in their previous two losses, against Florida and Tennessee. This marked the first time in Golesh’s debut season that they were blown out.
Up next
LSU gets a week off before hosting No. 13 Alabama on Nov. 7.
Auburn plays at No. 7 Mississippi next Saturday, the team’s fourth consecutive ranked opponent.
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