AUBURN – With 388 yards of total offense, you are bound to score some points and that is just what the Auburn Tigers did as they got 18 points, all from their standout kicker Daniel Carlson, to win a wild one on the Plains over the LSU Tigers.
Auburn moved the ball very well on the LSU defense picking up 154 yards on the ground and 234 in the air, but it was the leg of Carlson on display Saturday night.
“I think he is the best kicker in college football,” said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn about his valuable weapon.
After both teams traded a pair of punts, the Auburn offense took the field for the third time. Starting from their own 49, the duo of Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson along with the arm of Sean White, helped move the Auburn Tigers down to the LSU 34 where the Bengal Tigers’ defense was able to hold Auburn to Carlson’s first of six field goals on the night, this one from 51 yards out, to give Auburn the 3-0 advantage with 6:32 left in the first.
LSU answered back on their next drive when, from their own 25, Leonard Fournette took the ball up the far sideline for an 11-yard pick up, setting the tone for the whole drive. Two plays later Darrius Guice found a big hole over the right guard to pick up 52 yards. The Bengal Tigers then just played smash mouth football with quarterback Danny Etling calling his own number on third-and-goal from the one to pick up the score and put LSU in front 7-3.
Auburn came right back, starting a drive that took 3:52 off the clock, spanning the rest of the first quarter and into the second, ending in a 29-yard boot form Carlson. LSU moved the ball well on their next possession but the solid Auburn defense came up big when Carlo Lawson threw Etling down for a sack and 10-tard loss on third-and-10 to force a 51-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide right by Colby Delahoussaye.
The Auburn Tigers took the lead back on the ensuing possession thanks to come crafty running by Pettway and a 36-yard strike from White to Darius Slayton and ending with another Carlson field goal from 29-yards away that split the uprights, putting Auburn on top 9-7. After an LSU punt, Auburn looked as if they were going to score a touchdown right before the half but a huge LSU stop on fourth-and-goal from the 1 ensured that the score would remain 9-7 going to the break.
LSU got the ball first in the second half but it was Auburn who would strike first, taking advantage of another LUS punt. From their own 14, Johnson carried the ball on back-to-back plays for 9 yards and White picked up the first down on a 12-yard quarterback draw. He then found Tony Stevens for a 24-yard completion. Helped out by a roughing the passer penalty where, much to the dismay of the home crowd, Arden Key was not ejected for what looked like targeting, Auburn moved the ball down to the LSU 20 where the dive stalled and Carlson was called on to add 31-yard field goal to make the score 12-7 in favor of Auburn.
The Bengal Tigers pulled to within two on their next drive that ended with a 29-yard field goal by Delahoussaye. Following an Auburn fumble by White that was recovered by Davon Goschaux, Delahoussaye put LSU back on top, 13-12, from 25 yards away with 2:32 left in the third.
White started the fourth with a 23-yard screen pass to Johnson down the LSU 29. Auburn came up a yard shy of the first and Carlson was called upon once more and he delivered a 37-yard boot to put Auburn back on top, for what turned out to be for good, 15-13. Carlson added another 29-yard score with 2:56 left to play to force LSU to score a touchdown to take the lead.
After a Carlson touchback, LSU set up shop on their own 25-yard line for their final drive of the game. Etling started the drive with a 12-yard scamper on second-and-10. He followed up with a 16-yard strike to Travin Dural for 16 yards. He did it himself on third-and-8, carrying the ball around the right end for 18 yards. He continued to move the ball until he ran into big Carl Lawson who picked up his second sack, throwing Etling for a 6-yard loss to put LSU in a third-and-16 situation.
On back-to-back passing plays it looked like LSU was going to pick up the first down, but an illegal shift pushed them back 5 yards with one second left. LSU snapped the ball and Etling was put under duress. Rolling to his right he found D.J. Clark deep in the right corner of the end zone for the touchdown as time expired. However, just like any other scoring play, it is reviewed. After the review, it was determined that LSU did not get the snap off in time as the Tigers held on to earn a hard fought first SEC win of the season by a final score of 18-13.
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