By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Can LSU carry its show on the road?
Not so far this season, though in the bottom line, the Tigers could have won both road games, a 32-24 loss at No. 8 Ole Miss and a 35-34 overtime defeat at No. 12 Kentucky.
Not recently. LSU has dropped its last eight games outside of Tiger Stadium, six under former coach Brian Kelly.
Saturday morning at 11, in a contest carried on ESPN, the 18th-ranked Tigers visit Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium hoping for a breakthrough win over a team that just knocked Georgia out of the nation’s No. 1 ranking, 27-24.
It appears likely LSU coach Lane Kiffin will have two of his best players back in the lineup.
Junior tight end Trey’Dez Green is no longer on the Southeastern Conference injury list, apparently recovered from a knee injury that benched him for four games.
“He battled and got himself back even quicker than they thought he’d be back,” said Kiffin on his radio show Thursday night. “He worked so hard, and he loves LSU so much.”
Green, an imposing target at 6-foot-7, caught 14 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown in three games before his injury in the fourth quarter at Ole Miss, five weeks ago.
Speaking of imposing, LSU defensive end Princewill Umanmielen is also not listed on LSU’s injury list after being knocked out of last week’s 31-0 putdown of Mississippi State with an apparent concussion. He is second nationally with eight sacks, a statistic that will be one to watch at Auburn, whose dynamic quarterback Byrum Brown has been sacked 23 times, the most in the country, and has thrown seven interceptions.
But Brown focused on running the ball at Georgia and between called plays and scrambles, posted 115 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. The transfer from South Florida, named this week as one of 18 finalists for the Campbell Trophy – considered the academic Heisman – also threw a TD pass while going 15 of 26 for 150 yards.
Auburn (4-2 overall, 2-2 SEC) also got a score on a trick play, when receiver Christian Neptune put the Tigers on the board with a 28-yard pass, his second TD throw of the season. The Auburn defense came up with three turnovers.
LSU (5-2, 2-2) quarterback Sam Leavitt had his most impressive statistics last week, not throwing an interception for the first time this season while competing 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and all four Tiger TDs. His first run, in the red zone on LSU’s game-opening scoring drive, revealed he had reaggravated a right hamstring injury that limited his mobility but seems to have focused his passing accuracy.
“I played a pretty easy game, just getting the ball out to my guys and have them go make plays,” said Levitt, who is also not listed on LSU’s injury report. “We did an incredible job with play calling and situational ball.”
The Tigers are a 7.5-point favorite to halt their disappointments on the road heading into an open date on Halloween, with November’s slate of Alabama, Texas and Tennessee looming.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com