Auburn Football vs LSU Game Preview
#14 AUBURN (2-0, 1-0) VS. #5 LSU (2-0, 0-0)
JORDAN-HARE STADIUM (87,451) * AUBURN, AL
SEPTEMBER 18, 2004 * 2:30 P.M. CT * TV: CBS
SATELITTE RADIO SIRIUS 123 - IN AUBURN WKKR-FM (97.7)
Game Notes
THE GAME
Auburn hosts Southeasetern Conference and Western Division foe LSU in the Tigers' SEC home opener.
AUBURN HEADLINES
* In the Auburn-LSU series, the winning team has scored at least 31 points in six of the last seven meetings.
* The game between Auburn and LSU will mark the 16th time in the series that one or both of the schools has been ranked in the Associated Press poll. It will also be the 10th time in the last 11 meetings (since 1994) that one or both have been ranked entering the game.
* Auburn is 6-2 all-time on September 18, having last played on this date in 2002 when the Tigers defeated Mississippi State, 42-14, in Starkville.
* Head coach Tommy Tuberville will celebrate his 50th birthday Saturday. The Tigers are 2-0 on Tuberville's birthday, winning at Mississippi State in 2002, 42-14, and at LSU in 1999, 41-7.
* Saturday's game against No. 5 LSU will mark Auburn's 10th game in its last 22 outings that it has played an Associated Press Top 10 team. Auburn is 5-4 in those contests and 10-2 in the remaining 12 games.
* TB Carnell Williams has rushed for 100+ yards in eight of his last 11 games (1,340).
* Under Tommy Tuberville, Auburn is 23-0 when scoring 30 or more points in a game. Auburn has won 36 consecutive games when scoring 30 or more points in a game.
* Auburn has made 190 consecutive PAT kicks dating back to 1999, which is the second longest streak in Southeastern Conference history. Alabama holds the SEC record, converting on 199 straight from 1981-87.
* Auburn is 128-43-5 (.742) all-time in the month of September, including a 18-4 mark under Tommy Tuberville.
* Senior quarterback Jason Campbell is 20-9 (.690) in 29 career starts at Auburn. Since 1970, only Stan White (45), Phil Gargis (34) and Pat Sullivan (33) have made more starts under center.
IN THE POLLS
Auburn enters Saturday's contest ranked 14th by the Associated Press and 15th by ESPN/USA Today. The Tigers are ranked for the third consecutive game for the first time since the 2001 season when they were ranked in five straight contests.
TOP 10, AGAIN
Saturday's game against No. 5 LSU will mark Auburn's 10th game in its last 22 outings versus an Associated Press Top 10 team. Auburn is 5-4 in those contests and 10-2 in the other 12 games.
Since the start of the 2002 season, only Florida State (10) has played as many games against Top 10 teams as Auburn.
LSU is Auburn's highest ranked opponent since the Tigers defeated then No. 1 Florida, 23-20, on Oct. 13, 2001.
ON CBS
Saturday's Auburn-LSU matchup will be televised by CBS, marking the Tigers' 11th appearance on the network since 2000. Auburn is 13-19 all-time on CBS.
HAPPY 50TH, TOMMY
Head coach Tommy Tuberville will celebrate his 50th birthday Saturday. Born on September 18, 1954, Tuberville has enjoyed success on his birthday while at Auburn. The Tigers are 2-0 on September 18, under Tuberville, winning at Mississippi State in 2002, 42-14, and at LSU in 1999, 41-7.
AUBURN-LSU SERIES NOTES
A combined 48 points or more have been scored between the two teams in seven of the last 12 meetings ... The visiting team won four consecutive games from 1996-99 ... The winning team posted shutouts in nine of the first 11 meetings in the series ... Dating back to 1973, only five of the 17 meetings have been decided by 14 points or more ... Four of the last 10 games have been decided by a touchdown or less ... This is the longest sustained meeting between the two schools, 13 consecutive years, eclipsing nine straight years from 1934-42 ... In six of the last seven games, the winning team has scored at least 31 points ... Auburn's secondary has picked off 17 passes in the Tigers' last five wins over LSU, including six in 1994.
LOUISIANA TIGERS
The 2004 Auburn roster contains four players who call Louisiana home. That list includes: So. TE Kyle Derozan (Morganza), Fr. TE Ernest Norman (New Orleans), Fr. RB Jerald Watson (Morgan City, LA), and So. WR Craig Williams (New Orleans).
THREE LOUISIANA FOES
Auburn plays three of its 11 games this season against schools from the state of Louisiana. In fact, the Tigers will play all three, Louisiana-Monroe (Sept. 4), LSU (Sept. 18) and Louisiana Tech (Oct. 9) in their first six contests. The Tigers defeated ULM, 31-0, two weeks ago.
The last time Auburn played three schools from one state was in 1992 when it played Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss.
RANKINGS IN THE SERIES
The game between Auburn and LSU will mark the 16th time in the series that one or both of the schools has been ranked in the Associated Press poll. It will also be the 10 time in the last 11 meetings (since 1994) that one or both have been ranked entering the game. Since 1994, Auburn has been ranked in nine of the games (except 1999 and 2002), while LSU has been ranked seven times (1996-98, 2001-04).
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Five of the 10 meetings in the Auburn-LSU series from 1988-1997 were decided by less than a touchdown. And, like all good Southern football series, those games have earned memorable titles. Examples:
1988: LSU scored with 1:41 remaining to down fourth-ranked Auburn, 7-6. The noise from the Tiger Stadium crowd registered on a campus seismograph, thus earning the contest the title of "Earthquake Game."
1994: Auburn returned three of its five fourth-quarter interceptions for touchdowns to rally from a two-touchdown deficit and win 30-26. Auburn and LSU fans alike still recall the "Interception Game."
1995: Wearing the traditional white jerseys at home for the first time in 13 years, LSU stunned fifth-ranked Auburn, 12-6, when Troy Twillie intercepted Patrick Nix's 11-yard pass into the end zone with no time remaining. The 1997 LSU media guide referred to this game under the heading "Bring Back The Magic."
1996: "The Night The Barn Burned" will long be remembered on the Plains. As the old Auburn Sports Arena burned just outside Jordan-Hare Stadium, LSU defeated Auburn 19-15. After missing three field goals and an extra point, Auburn cut LSU's lead to 17-15 with :38 remaining, but Jon Cooley's two-point pass attempt was picked off by Raion Hill, who returned it the other way for two points.
1997: Dameyune Craig led Auburn on an 80-yard, 10-play drive in the game's final three minutes to deliver a 31-28 upset of 10th-ranked LSU in "The Comeback." Rusty Williams capped the drive on a one-yard touchdown plunge with :30 remaining. LSU attempted a 65-yard FG on the game's final play, but Quinton Reese blocked it to seal the Auburn win.
In all, 16 of the 36 games played between the two schools since 1901 have been decided by a touchdown or less, with LSU holding an 8-7-1 advantage in those games.
NOT-SO CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
While Auburn and LSU played four consecutive games from 1994-97 that were all decided by six points or less (4.3 ppg), the last six meetings between the two have been anything but close. Since 1998, the closest margin of victory has been 12 points (LSU wins in 1998, 2001, 2003), while the average margin of victory during that time has been 20.5 points. Auburn beat LSU by 34 points in 1999, 17 points in 2000, and 24 points in 2002.
TUB VS. THE FIGHTING TIGERS
Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville is 5-4 against LSU as his squads have scored at least 30 or more points in each of those wins. Tuberville guided Ole Miss to victories over LSU in 1997 at Baton Rouge (36-21) and 1998 in Oxford (37-31). In 1999, Tuberville's Auburn squad won at LSU, 41-7, and claimed victories in Auburn in 2000 (34-17) and 2002 (31-7).
Tuberville coached teams have averaged 28.7 points (201 total) in the last seven games against LSU, scoring at least 34 points in four of those contests.
ON THIS DATE
Auburn is 6-2 all-time on September 18, having last played on this date in 2002 when the Tigers defeated Mississippi State, 42-14, in Starkville.
The Tigers have won four consecutive games on September 18, including wins over LSU in Baton Rouge in 1999 (41-7) and 1993 (34-10). The last time Auburn has played a home game on Sept. 18 was a 21-19 win over Southern Miss in 1982.
IN SEPTEMBER
Auburn is 128-43-5 (.742) all-time in the month of September, including a 18-4 mark under Tommy Tuberville.
#14 AUBURN (2-0, 1-0) VS. #5 LSU (2-0, 0-0)
JORDAN-HARE STADIUM (87,451) * AUBURN, AL
SEPTEMBER 18, 2004 * 2:30 P.M. CT * TV: CBS
SATELITTE RADIO SIRIUS 123 - IN AUBURN WKKR-FM (97.7)
Game Notes
THE GAME
Auburn hosts Southeasetern Conference and Western Division foe LSU in the Tigers' SEC home opener.
AUBURN HEADLINES
* In the Auburn-LSU series, the winning team has scored at least 31 points in six of the last seven meetings.
* The game between Auburn and LSU will mark the 16th time in the series that one or both of the schools has been ranked in the Associated Press poll. It will also be the 10th time in the last 11 meetings (since 1994) that one or both have been ranked entering the game.
* Auburn is 6-2 all-time on September 18, having last played on this date in 2002 when the Tigers defeated Mississippi State, 42-14, in Starkville.
* Head coach Tommy Tuberville will celebrate his 50th birthday Saturday. The Tigers are 2-0 on Tuberville's birthday, winning at Mississippi State in 2002, 42-14, and at LSU in 1999, 41-7.
* Saturday's game against No. 5 LSU will mark Auburn's 10th game in its last 22 outings that it has played an Associated Press Top 10 team. Auburn is 5-4 in those contests and 10-2 in the remaining 12 games.
* TB Carnell Williams has rushed for 100+ yards in eight of his last 11 games (1,340).
* Under Tommy Tuberville, Auburn is 23-0 when scoring 30 or more points in a game. Auburn has won 36 consecutive games when scoring 30 or more points in a game.
* Auburn has made 190 consecutive PAT kicks dating back to 1999, which is the second longest streak in Southeastern Conference history. Alabama holds the SEC record, converting on 199 straight from 1981-87.
* Auburn is 128-43-5 (.742) all-time in the month of September, including a 18-4 mark under Tommy Tuberville.
* Senior quarterback Jason Campbell is 20-9 (.690) in 29 career starts at Auburn. Since 1970, only Stan White (45), Phil Gargis (34) and Pat Sullivan (33) have made more starts under center.
IN THE POLLS
Auburn enters Saturday's contest ranked 14th by the Associated Press and 15th by ESPN/USA Today. The Tigers are ranked for the third consecutive game for the first time since the 2001 season when they were ranked in five straight contests.
TOP 10, AGAIN
Saturday's game against No. 5 LSU will mark Auburn's 10th game in its last 22 outings versus an Associated Press Top 10 team. Auburn is 5-4 in those contests and 10-2 in the other 12 games.
Since the start of the 2002 season, only Florida State (10) has played as many games against Top 10 teams as Auburn.
LSU is Auburn's highest ranked opponent since the Tigers defeated then No. 1 Florida, 23-20, on Oct. 13, 2001.
ON CBS
Saturday's Auburn-LSU matchup will be televised by CBS, marking the Tigers' 11th appearance on the network since 2000. Auburn is 13-19 all-time on CBS.
HAPPY 50TH, TOMMY
Head coach Tommy Tuberville will celebrate his 50th birthday Saturday. Born on September 18, 1954, Tuberville has enjoyed success on his birthday while at Auburn. The Tigers are 2-0 on September 18, under Tuberville, winning at Mississippi State in 2002, 42-14, and at LSU in 1999, 41-7.
AUBURN-LSU SERIES NOTES
A combined 48 points or more have been scored between the two teams in seven of the last 12 meetings ... The visiting team won four consecutive games from 1996-99 ... The winning team posted shutouts in nine of the first 11 meetings in the series ... Dating back to 1973, only five of the 17 meetings have been decided by 14 points or more ... Four of the last 10 games have been decided by a touchdown or less ... This is the longest sustained meeting between the two schools, 13 consecutive years, eclipsing nine straight years from 1934-42 ... In six of the last seven games, the winning team has scored at least 31 points ... Auburn's secondary has picked off 17 passes in the Tigers' last five wins over LSU, including six in 1994.
LOUISIANA TIGERS
The 2004 Auburn roster contains four players who call Louisiana home. That list includes: So. TE Kyle Derozan (Morganza), Fr. TE Ernest Norman (New Orleans), Fr. RB Jerald Watson (Morgan City, LA), and So. WR Craig Williams (New Orleans).
THREE LOUISIANA FOES
Auburn plays three of its 11 games this season against schools from the state of Louisiana. In fact, the Tigers will play all three, Louisiana-Monroe (Sept. 4), LSU (Sept. 18) and Louisiana Tech (Oct. 9) in their first six contests. The Tigers defeated ULM, 31-0, two weeks ago.
The last time Auburn played three schools from one state was in 1992 when it played Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss.
RANKINGS IN THE SERIES
The game between Auburn and LSU will mark the 16th time in the series that one or both of the schools has been ranked in the Associated Press poll. It will also be the 10 time in the last 11 meetings (since 1994) that one or both have been ranked entering the game. Since 1994, Auburn has been ranked in nine of the games (except 1999 and 2002), while LSU has been ranked seven times (1996-98, 2001-04).
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Five of the 10 meetings in the Auburn-LSU series from 1988-1997 were decided by less than a touchdown. And, like all good Southern football series, those games have earned memorable titles. Examples:
1988: LSU scored with 1:41 remaining to down fourth-ranked Auburn, 7-6. The noise from the Tiger Stadium crowd registered on a campus seismograph, thus earning the contest the title of "Earthquake Game."
1994: Auburn returned three of its five fourth-quarter interceptions for touchdowns to rally from a two-touchdown deficit and win 30-26. Auburn and LSU fans alike still recall the "Interception Game."
1995: Wearing the traditional white jerseys at home for the first time in 13 years, LSU stunned fifth-ranked Auburn, 12-6, when Troy Twillie intercepted Patrick Nix's 11-yard pass into the end zone with no time remaining. The 1997 LSU media guide referred to this game under the heading "Bring Back The Magic."
1996: "The Night The Barn Burned" will long be remembered on the Plains. As the old Auburn Sports Arena burned just outside Jordan-Hare Stadium, LSU defeated Auburn 19-15. After missing three field goals and an extra point, Auburn cut LSU's lead to 17-15 with :38 remaining, but Jon Cooley's two-point pass attempt was picked off by Raion Hill, who returned it the other way for two points.
1997: Dameyune Craig led Auburn on an 80-yard, 10-play drive in the game's final three minutes to deliver a 31-28 upset of 10th-ranked LSU in "The Comeback." Rusty Williams capped the drive on a one-yard touchdown plunge with :30 remaining. LSU attempted a 65-yard FG on the game's final play, but Quinton Reese blocked it to seal the Auburn win.
In all, 16 of the 36 games played between the two schools since 1901 have been decided by a touchdown or less, with LSU holding an 8-7-1 advantage in those games.
NOT-SO CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
While Auburn and LSU played four consecutive games from 1994-97 that were all decided by six points or less (4.3 ppg), the last six meetings between the two have been anything but close. Since 1998, the closest margin of victory has been 12 points (LSU wins in 1998, 2001, 2003), while the average margin of victory during that time has been 20.5 points. Auburn beat LSU by 34 points in 1999, 17 points in 2000, and 24 points in 2002.
TUB VS. THE FIGHTING TIGERS
Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville is 5-4 against LSU as his squads have scored at least 30 or more points in each of those wins. Tuberville guided Ole Miss to victories over LSU in 1997 at Baton Rouge (36-21) and 1998 in Oxford (37-31). In 1999, Tuberville's Auburn squad won at LSU, 41-7, and claimed victories in Auburn in 2000 (34-17) and 2002 (31-7).
Tuberville coached teams have averaged 28.7 points (201 total) in the last seven games against LSU, scoring at least 34 points in four of those contests.
ON THIS DATE
Auburn is 6-2 all-time on September 18, having last played on this date in 2002 when the Tigers defeated Mississippi State, 42-14, in Starkville.
The Tigers have won four consecutive games on September 18, including wins over LSU in Baton Rouge in 1999 (41-7) and 1993 (34-10). The last time Auburn has played a home game on Sept. 18 was a 21-19 win over Southern Miss in 1982.
IN SEPTEMBER
Auburn is 128-43-5 (.742) all-time in the month of September, including a 18-4 mark under Tommy Tuberville.
