Oct 24, 2026; Auburn, Alabama, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Jackson Harris (4) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Kate Pearson Halyburton, Editor Louis Johnson Tue, October 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC · 5 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In today's world of unprecedented parity and unpredictable results, no team can take wins for granted. Consequently, the LSU Tigers had points to prove on their way to the Plains to face Auburn, regardless of most Vegas books favoring LSU by 6.5 points. But a dominant 38-17 road win on Saturday helped LSU answer lingering questions surrounding the team and boost its confidence going into the bye.
Considering Sam Leavitt 's league-leading eight interceptions, it's easy to understand skepticism surrounding his ability to avoid detrimental plays. Be it a bad decision or an off-target throw, Leavitt inevitably made a pass to the opposing team every game. However, he ended that streak two weeks ago against Mississippi State. Since then, Leavitt has been more productive than any other quarterback in the SEC.
The Arizona St. transfer has 76% of his passes while amassing 676 yards in the past two games. Sure, his seven touchdowns during that stretch are impressive, but the more important stat here is zero interceptions. Leavitt's physical ability to make the throws has been apparent since his Big 12 days, but we weren't sure if he could consistently process, go through progressions, and avoid risks. His 45 attempts against Auburn with no turnovers suggest that he can take care of the ball.
Multiple factors have contributed to his improvement, but the playmaking ability of Jackson Harris has increased Leavitt's comfort level within the offense. Leavitt has gained chemistry with Harris and trusts him to make plays in critical spots. Harris went off for 178 yards against Auburn and has four touchdowns in the last two games. Now that Trey'Dez Green has returned from injury, Leavitt has two targets he can trust to make a play in single coverage.
Photo Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
The path to winning each game is obviously subjective, but a more productive, timely run game would have helped LSU in both losses. The Tigers ran effectively against Ole Miss. But a more run-heavy approach early in the game could've taken pressure off Leavitt, who ended the game with an 86.1 total quarterback ranking according to ESPN. Dilin Jones , a back who gets stronger as the game goes on, had only 16 carries against Kentucky.
Jones had 21 carries for 92 yards on the Plains. Auburn had just held a Georgia team that averages 198 rushing yards per game to 113 total rushing yards, so that makes what Jones did even more impressive. LSU's run blocking hasn't exactly been a strength of the team this year, but the staff's hesitance to run has held production on the ground back more than the team's ability to execute.
The Tigers' 34 rushes against Auburn speaks to Charlie Weis, Jr.'s commitment to the run and takes a positive step in helping LSU answer another critical question that affects its potential. Furthermore, the bye week will give Leavitt's hamstring more time to heal, allowing him to be more of a weapon as a runner.
This might seem like a silly question, but LSU sits with the fourth-ranked total defense in the country. But its numbers and rankings didn't matter when Ole Miss and Kentucky marched up and down the field seemingly at will. To the Tigers' credit, they shifted momentum in the second half of both games but couldn't get the timely stops at the end.
Let's face it; nobody will mistake Auburn for an offensive juggernaut. But Alex Golesh's group piled up 192 rushing yards on its way to scoring 27 points against the SEC's best scoring defense in Georgia. LSU's stifling defense held Auburn to 271 total yards. Byrum Brown rushed for only 21 yards after gaining 115 a week prior.
Beyond the numbers, the LSU defense played with an aggressive nature that we haven't seen in its previous road games. The hesitation with open field tackling that hurt the Tigers against Kentucky didn't exist. Blake Baker replaced the conservative defensive calls from Oxford with attacking, pressure-producing calls against Auburn on obvious passing downs. LSU's assertive approach resulted in seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss on the day. Such a dominant performance against a conference opponent on the road is encouraging moving forward.
It's a challenge to get an accurate read on any FBS college football team in 2026. Each big win seems to be followed by a disappointing loss. No teams are dominant, but some are more talented than others. LSU's talent seems to be gelling at the right time. In hindsight, the inconsistency that plagued LSU earlier in the season should've been expected when considering this was almost a completely new team with a new staff.
Now eight games into the season, we're learning more about the Tigers. Leaders have emerged in the receiving room. Jordan Ross has proven to be an explosive pass-rushing complement to Princewill Umanmielen. LSU appears to be rounding into form, and it couldn't have come at a better time with Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee up next.
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