Grading Out: Auburn

LSU's performance against Auburn can best be described as dominant. With the exception of a blowout win over Kentucky in 2014, this was the best start to finish performance for LSU since probably the 2011 season, They jumped on top of Auburn early, put together two touchdown drives, and by the end of the first half held a 24-0 lead. And despite taking their foot off the gas towards the end a bit they led 38-7 after three quarters and won 45-21. No one played poorly, and there were many tremendous performances. Paul and I are going to take a look at each unit though, and see how they fared vs Auburn.

Quarterback

Jake: B. This could have been an A for Harris, but he overthrew Dural on the TD and had a couple other misfires. Still made some good throws, and did well on the ground, but some of the misses keep it at a B

Paul: B-. Last week, the coaches seemed to want to keep Harris out of the running game, for the most part. This week, they seemed to want to integrate him more heavily there. Give him credit for doing a lot of damage on the ground. He also avoided huge mistakes, by not turning the ball over. Where he gets downgraded is that he was basically handed a silver platter in the passing game and scarcely delivered. He missed several throws, notably a for sure TD to Dural. He'll need to continue to grow for LSU to have title hopes.

Running Back

Jake: A+. I have no words on Fournette. None. There is nothing you can say to accurately reflect his greatness. Darrel Williams is also really good, and I really like him being used as a fullback in some short yardage situations. Not only is he likely to pick up the yardage, he can grind out a lot more as well. Derrius Guice is going to be a superstar as well. Loved what I saw from him.

Paul: A+. I probably could have rushed for 100 yards on Auburn Saturday. Fournette was master class, Williams an underrated hammer converting short yardage situations and Guice is probably good enough to start for 70% of the teams in the nation. Those three are going to be absolutely lethal as the season wears on.

Jake: I personally would like to see you try to run for 100 yards against Auburn. I think you might have some success.

Wide Receiver

Jake: B. Only one drop, Dupre's on a great sideline throw by Harris. Grade is really a reflection on the lack of action they saw. Most of the throws were screens or swing passes. Got a TD from a TE though!

Paul: B. Chi and Harris don't seem to quite be gelling at this point. There were a couple drops. Edge block was good though, as you can't break multiple 10+ yard runs without the guys on the outside chipping in.

Jake: Edge blocking was definitely good. An underrated part of the role LSU's WR's have played in the offense over the years

Tight End

Paul: A. TIGHT END TOUCH DOWN! But seriously, if you're gonna go back re-watch, take a look at the blue collar work done by Jeter. The blocking was sensational.

Jake: Jeter's blocking was superb. Mauled dudes.

Offensive Line

Jake: A+. Just dominant. Fournette's runs were incredible, but as Billy pointed out in his review, he had huge holes before he even got touched. They simply manhandled Auburn. Vadal got SEC OL of the week, but you could have chosen any of the five. Think we might have settled on a starting five there, though there's a long way to go.

Paul: A+. As good of a performance as we've had in a few years. No sacks allowed while absolutely obliterating Auburn in the ground game. For the second straight week, LSU has the SEC OL of the week, this time in Vadal Alexander. Swapping in Maea Teuhema proved to be the exact fix needed here.

Defensive Line

Jake: B+. Did not get to the QB as much in the first half, but did force Johnson to get the ball out quickly and that resulted in some incompletions. Godchaux and Herron both made great individual plays to get in the backfield, particularly Herron.

Paul: A. LSU manhandled Auburn's OL. They chipped in another 4 sacks. Godchaux is turning into a Dorsey-like force on the interior. Good luck with that. But more impressive was how well they bottled up Auburn's generally dominant run attack. Auburn's ground game could never get going, which completely stunted their offense.

Jake: Yeah, an A might be the better grade here, considering the sack total. Really liked some of the effort Herron put in chasing down some runners too. Les said we can look forward to see him playing more and I think he earned more snaps.

Linebackers

Jake: B. Lot better in coverage than last week, though competition partly explains that. Overall pretty good, but there was no one in the middle of the field when Johnson broke free for the TD. Beckwith remains absolutely sensational in space though and chases down backs well.

Paul: B. Beckwith looked great, especially when he ran down Jovon Robinson from behind, with ease. Debo got a TFL, but his stupid penalty in the 2nd half. I give them credit for filling lanes in the run game and there wasn't really a chance to pick on them in the passing game like last week. Still think there's some growing to do here.

Cornerbacks

Jake: A. Kevin Toliver is a stud. You either never hear his name called because he is locking his man down or because he's making a great play and it's noticeable. Tre White was Tre White. Level of competition plays a part here, but they were fantastic.

Paul: A. Do you remember any of their names being called? Me either. That means they had a good day, albeit against a QB that couldn't get off the blocks.

Safety

Jake: A. Jamal Adams is special. He makes plays near the LOS, he tackles incredibly well, he's great in coverage, and he finally got a INT today. So good

Paul: A. Adams will deservedly draw the headlines and praise, but Rickey Jefferson has really proven to be a quality safety across from him. He's gonna make it tough for Corey Raymond to find a natural spot for Jalen Mills once he returns.

Jake: Yeah, you got to give some props to Jefferson. Flies around the field and hasn't made a misstep in coverage. Mills will probably get his spot back, but Jefferson's going to get quite a lot of snaps.

Four A's from me, six A's from Paul, and no grades worse than a B. LSU's performance was indeed as good as it looked live. Let's see how they fare vs Syracuse.