Write On Sports LLC - "AU-LSU Game Means More This Year" by Frank Sita

AU-LSU Game Means More This Year

2006-09-12 01:39:42 | By: Frank Sita

Not since the 1990 football season has Jordan-Hare Stadium seen a football game of this magnitude. That year, third-ranked Auburn and fifth-ranked Tennessee played to a 26-26 tie.

But Saturday’s clash between third-ranked Auburn and sixth-ranked Louisiana State will be huge for both teams for a number of reasons.

First of all, the winner of this game has won five of the last six SEC West championships. Secondly, the survivor of the contest will be a bona fide challenger to Ohio State and Southern California for the national championship. Finally, Auburn will get a chance to erase last season’s 20-17 overtime loss when AU kicker John Vaughn missed five field goals, leaving a very bad taste for a whole year.

Tiger coach Tommy Tuberville isn’t quite ready to talk about a possible national championship, but the veteran coach knows that the game will go a long way to determining the frontrunners.

“It will be a fistfight between Auburn and LSU like it is every year,” Tuberville said after Auburn’s 34-0 victory over Mississippi State Saturday. “It’s a player game. But the loser will be two game back in the standings, and that makes things more difficult. Both teams have had good teams the past few years. I’m just glad we’re playing this game here and not in Baton Rouge.”

Auburn senior wide receiver Courtney Taylor knows the importance of Saturday’s battle with LSU. Taylor caught the winning touchdown pass from Jason Campbell two years ago in AU’s 10-9 victory.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Taylor said. “LSU is always one of the best teams in our league. With the way they play defense, we should get a lot of 1-on-1 coverage.”

Vaughn had has a great 2006 season for the Tigers in the first two games against Washington State (a 40-14 win) and the triumph over Mississippi State. The senior is 5-of-6 in field goals, including boots of 52 and 55 yards.

“I’ve suffered for a while, I guess you’d have to say,” Vaughn said. “I’m pretty excited about playing LSU again. When you get kicked down like that, you have to bounce back.

“Anybody can stay down. I just try to do my part. Last year wasn’t good enough, but my teammates wrapped their arms around me and made my job a lot easier. I’ve worked hard in the off-season to improve my kicking and pull my own weight. We’ve got a lot of pride in our kicking group.”

While Auburn got its first SEC win last weekend against Mississippi State, LSU has wins over Louisiana-LaFayette and Arizona by the same 45-3 score.

LSU coach Les Miles knows this game is big for his squad as well.

“You look forward to playing an opponent is a game that really counts,” Miles said Sunday. “This one really counts. I am looking forward to going to Auburn. It is going to be a great test. As much as it is just one in the standings, it’s a very big one. You want to play your best against your best opponents.”

Miles knows that stopping Auburn’s running attack will be a critical point in the game, especially after AU running back Kenny Irons ran for over 200 yards last year at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.

“I think our defense wants to win the football game,” Miles added. “They want to stop Auburn’s opportunity whether it’s on the ground or in the air. I’m certain there are some memories of that last game in our stadium.”

Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges knows that LSU’s defense will be coming after junior quarterback Brandon Cox and the Tiger offense from a lot of different directions and formations.

“They are going to blitz you from every different angle with darn near anybody that has cleats on,” Borges said. “They’ll come from the short side, the wide side and they’ll come up the middle. It will be any down and distance. We just have to be ready.”

Former LSU defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who coach the Bayou Bengals with Nick Saban, now coaches Auburn and will give his team a very huge challenge this week with all the talented athletes the visitors from Baton Rouge will throw at the Tigers.

“This will be the best receiving corps we face all season,” Muschamp said. “JaMarcus Russell is an outstanding quarterback. They are tough and hard-nosed up front and have an outstanding running game. They can hurt you in a lot of different ways.”