LSU Football: Three Tigers to Watch Against Auburn

LSU looks to carry its momentum into Week 7 against Auburn, trio of Tigers must step up to the plate.

The LSU defense has been the talk of the town over the first six weeks of the season, and after coming alive in the second half against Missouri, Week 7 against Auburn presents an opportunity to break out of their shell.

Harold Perkins and Maason Smith pieced together big-time performances for this defense with safety Major Burns putting the nail in the coffin to seal the deal with a late-game interception.

Now, LSU can make a statement on Saturday in Tiger Stadium against a unique Auburn offense.

Who must show up in Week 7?

Three Tigers to Monitor:

Malik Nabers: Wide Receiver

LSU wideout Malik Nabers is in the midst of a historic season in Baton Rouge, and with the Tigers returning to Death Valley this weekend after a two week hiatus, he’ll be on his A-game for this group.

Nabers is second in America in receiving yards, only trailing Missouri’s Luther Burden, and has the chance to carry his success into Week 7 against Auburn. 

The [Auburn] Tigers’ secondary is a group LSU can look to exploit, especially given Jayden Daniels’ downfield success this season.

Look for Nabers to come out firing on all cylinders against Auburn on Saturday night with his sidekick, Brian Thomas Jr, also getting in on the action as this LSU offense continues rolling during SEC play.

Harold Perkins: Linebacker

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins pieced together his best game of the season last week at Missouri after making a handful of game changing plays, including an interception to shift the momentum the Tigers’ way.

Fast forward to this week in Tiger Stadium and he has the chance to make a major impact once again against a unique Auburn offense. The Tigers like to utilize quarterback Payton Thorne in the RPO, which will put Perkins in position to play his “see ball, get ball” style of defense.

On Saturday in Death Valley, look for Perkins to get in the backfield and disrupt an Auburn offense that has been shaky all season long. We’ve seen LSU’s Swiss Army Knife line up all over the field, displaying tremendous versatility, and it’ll be put to the test once again in Week 7.

Maason Smith: Defensive Lineman

Like Perkins, LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith strung together his best game of the season last week at Missouri. The third-year Tiger was disruptive, got into the backfield and finished plays when LSU needed them most.

Now, it’s an opportunity for him to carry his success into this weekend against Auburn. The Tigers like to run the football. A lot. It’s imperative the defensive line shows up in a big way in order to slow down their rushing attack.

For Smith, he’s getting back into game shape and remaining healthy after a sprained ankle suffered in Fall Camp slowed him down to start the season. With Smith healthy, it could unlock another level to this LSU defense as the backend of the year gets underway with Auburn on deck. 

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