#15 LSU at #5 Auburn Preview and Predictions

Sep 21, 2013; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Auburn Tigers wide receiver Quan Bray (4) recovers a fumble from LSU Tigers linebacker Seth Fruge (48) during the second half of a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Auburn 35-21. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Interesting Facts:

• Auburn is 9-4 in their last 13 home games against LSU dating back to 1981. In that span, LSU has scored more than 20 points against Auburn just four times.
• Since 2000, Auburn is 5-2 against LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but LSU has won 2 of the last 3 meetings in Auburn (2008 and 2012).
• No Auburn team that finished the season with a winning record has lost at home to LSU since 1996 (finished 8-4). Since then, Auburn’s lost at home to LSU three times. All three years, Auburn finished the year with a losing record and the coach either resigned or was fired (1998 Terry Bowden, 2008 Tommy Tuberville and 2012 Gene Chizik). Those Auburn teams were a combined 11-24 (3-21 SEC).
• LSU enters this game ranked 15th in both major polls, marking the first time since 2001 that LSU is not ranked in the top 10 when playing Auburn. Yes, seriously, LSU entered the Auburn game ranked in the top ten TWELVE consecutive years.
• This is the first time Auburn has been ranked higher than LSU entering the game since 2010, when #4 Auburn defeated #6 LSU en route to the national championship.
• LSU is 7-2 in SEC road openers under Les Miles. Their two losses have been at Auburn in 2006 and at Georgia last season.
• Auburn and LSU have been dominant in the 4th quarter this season. Auburn has outscored opponents 55-14 in the 4th quarter, while LSU has outscored opponents 62-3, including a Brandon Harris-led 19-0 run that almost led to an incredible comeback against Mississippi State.
• Auburn trails LSU all-time, 27-20-1. The only other SEC teams Auburn trails are Alabama, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
• Les Miles is 4-1 against Gus Malzahn’s offenses (1-0 when Gus was offensive coordinator at Arkansas, 2-1 when Gus was the offensive coordinator at Auburn and 1-0 against Gus as Auburn’s head coach). Les Miles’s defense has limited Malzahn’s offense to 26, 10, 24, 10 and 21 points. In three of five meetings, LSU has held Malzahn’s offense without an offensive touchdown in the first half (2009, 2011 and 2013).