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The LSU offense continues to impress as the Tigers jumped to 7-0 after their third victory against an SEC opponent last week.
On Saturday, the team heads into what could be one of its toughest matchups of the year when the Auburn Tigers (6-1) travel to Baton Rouge.
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and Auburn’s Bo Nix will both be up against top-notch defenses. How well they handle them will be a deciding factor in which team comes out with the victory this weekend.
Experience is certainly a factor here, given that Burrow is a senior on his final year of eligibility, and Nix is only on his first season as a starter in college football.
Here’s how the two stack up.
Joe Burrow
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First Impression: Burrow is now the Heisman front-runner, and has overtaken Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert as the top available quarterback prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s revolutionized LSU’s offense, and has left a heavy mark on the school’s record books in a short period of time. He’s a good decision-maker and has delivered NFL-level throws this season while standing tall under pressure against some of college football’s best defenses. The Tigers couldn’t ask for much more from the signal-caller at this point.
Last showing: vs. Mississippi State W, 36-13
Burrow was 25-of-32 for 327 and four touchdowns .
QBR: 93.3
Bottom line for Saturday: The Tigers are taking this matchup seriously, and considering it a must-win game. A good bit of that has to do with just how stout of a defense Burrow and the offense will be facing. Ball security and staying aggressive will be crucial. Auburn is going to bring the pass rush, and have given up the deep ball sparingly. At this point in the season, Burrow has proven he can be just as successful against formidable SEC defenses as he can against the smaller opponents LSU opened the season against, so he could be in for a big day. Having Terrace Marshall Jr. back to rejoin an an already talented receiving corps helps as well.
Bo Nix
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First Impression: Nix is the first true freshman to start for Auburn in 73 years, and has done a solid job - taking his level of experience into consideration - at the helm. The dual-threat Nix been efficient enough, and is 95-of-169 passing for 1,301 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Auburn offense relies more on the ground attack than the passing game, with an average of 240.1 rushing yards per contest. Expect to see Gus Malzahn incorporate Nix into the run game on Saturday.
Last showing: vs. Arkansas, W 51-10
Nix was 12-of-17 passing for 176 yards and three touchdowns.
QBR: 62.3
Bottom line for Saturday: Regardless of the comments Nix has made ahead of the game, Death Valley is a tough atmosphere for any quarterback — especially for a player at Nix’s level. LSU has one of the strongest defenses in the nation, which should find little issue in rattling Nix and forcing turnovers. He crumbled against Florida, and could very well do the same against LSU. Tiger Stadium will simply be too much for the young quarterback.