LSU dominates second half in comeback win over Auburn

It was weird. It was wild. It was a barnburner without the fire.

It was Auburn-LSU, and it lived up to its billing.

In a game that saw five lead changes, a former tight end-turned-defensive end snag an interception for a touchdown, a halfback throw a pass for a go-ahead score, a third-quarter onside kick and a game-winning score with 63 seconds to play, sixth-ranked LSU (3-0, 1-0 SEC) rallied from a 14-3 halftime deficit to defeat No. 10 Auburn 26-21 before a capacity crowd Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“They made a few more plays than we did,” said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, whose team dropped to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the SEC. “It was a heck of a football game as it always is. That was hard fought. We had the lead, lost it, had the lead again, lost it, and we have a disappointed bunch of guys in the locker room because we thought with the way we played at times, we should have won.”

But an 11-point lead isn’t safe in this series.

LSU overcame a 17-7 deficit to beat the Tigers, 30-24, in Baton Rouge last season.

The winner of this game has gone on to represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship game in six of the last eight years. The loser has never won the division.

Saturday, the Bayou Bengals did to Auburn’s defense what no other team had this season: it shredded the Tigers for 295 yards and 23 points in the second half alone as quarterback Jarrett Lee threw for 182 yards and two scores — including an 18-yard pass to Brandon LaFell with 1:03 remaining to erase a 21-20 Auburn lead and put LSU ahead for good.

Though Auburn’s defense was its hero in a 3-2 win at Mississippi State last week, Auburn defensive back Jerraud Powers said the defensive deserved the blame this time.

“It was our fault,” he said. “We should have won that game. We did not stop the run and you are not going to win a game like this if you do not stop the run. We are going to have to go back to the drawing board.”

Auburn allowed LSU 178 yards on the ground, including 132 on 21 carries to running back Charles Scott.

“In the first half, our defense played awesome, but in the second half they (LSU) got something going with their passing game and that opened up the run,” Tuberville said.

Despite LSU’s second-half surge that saw a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes, including a 22-yarder from halfback Keiland Williams to Demetrius Byrd, and a 17-0 run, Auburn — bloodied and battered — was down only 6 and still in the game.

Trailing, 20-14, quarterback Chris Todd hit Tim Hawthorne for a 58-yard pass to the LSU 16. The play set up Todd’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Robert Dunn, which turned the game’s momentum and put Auburn ahead 21-20 with 6:40 remaining.

But this is Auburn-LSU. No 1-point lead is safe until the final gun.

LSU didn’t need that long. Five minutes later, LaFell was dancing in the end zone, celebrating the winning score.

“I expected such a battle,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “My team showed a lot of poise. To be tested by a very capable opponent is what we needed to get us started. We knew Auburn would be a great team to teach from.”

Tuberville called Saturday’s game a ‘major step forward’ despite the loss.

“I thought (offensive coordinator) Tony (Franklin) called a good game,” he said. “I thought it was a game where we found out a lot about ourselves.”

Auburn found out it could not run against LSU. The Tigers were held to a season-low 70 yards.

In his third start, Todd completed 17 of 32 passes for 250 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Backup Kodi Burns did not play.

“I have to watch film before I say anything,” Todd said. “There are a lot of things I can improve on. I thought everyone battled their butts off all game. We left it all on the field.”

Auburn had a chance to put LSU away early in the third quarter. Leading, 14-3, Auburn had a first down at the LSU 18. Instead, Auburn went backward.

Successive losses of 3, 5 and 9 yards not only killed any chance at an Auburn touchdown, but also put the Tigers out of field goal range. Throw in Ryan Shoemaker’s 7-yard punt, and LSU regained possession at its 27.

With starter Clinton Durst out with the flu, Auburn’s punting game struggled mightily. The Tigers averaged just 35 yards per kick, compared to 48 for LSU.

After Auburn’s failed drive and Shoemaker’s woeful punt, the defending national champions took the game’s momentum and ran with it.

jmcadory@oanow.com | 737-2549