The Instant Takeaways: Jayden Daniels, LSU Roll Past Auburn 48-18

No. 22 LSU handled business in Death Valley on Saturday night led by another masterclass performance from Jayden Daniels, propelling the Bayou Bengals to a 48-18 Week 7 victory over Auburn.

LSU pieced together a complete game with both sides of the ball answering the call through all four quarters.

With Daniels controlling the pace offensively to Harold Perkins wreaking havoc on defense, Brian Kelly’s group played like many expected them to early in the season.

The Instant Takeaways From Tiger Stadium:

Offense Rolls Again

It’s simple. The 2023 LSU offense is on a different level than the rest of the SEC and it was put on display once again in Week 7 against Auburn. Jayden Daniels continued his Heisman season with another complete performance in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night.

The Tigers’ QB1 ended the day with 325 yards on 20-of-27 passing with three touchdowns. On the ground? He continued carving the defense, totaling 93 yards on 11 carries. Daniels is shining week in and week out for this program with another top notch performance against Auburn.

But he has weapons… The LSU offense has an arsenal of elite-level playmakers with Malik Nabers, Kyren Lacy and Brian Thomas Jr. shining on the outside for the Tigers on Saturday. The trio combined for 207 yards and two touchdowns with yards after catch unlocking a different element to this offense.

Through the air, it was another impressive showing for LSU, but the rushing attack also played a key role in taking down Auburn. Logan Diggs ended the night with 97 yards and a touchdown on the night while wrecking the Tigers’ defense through four quarters.

LSU did what it does best on Saturday night and that’s score points. A lot of them. Daniels and Co. made the most of their opportunities on their way to a critical SEC victory.

Defense Steps Up

There’s much to be said about the LSU defense. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but when game changing plays needed to be made, this side of the football stepped up to the plate. From Zy Alexander being put to the test and coming through to Harold Perkins wreaking havoc all night, this group pieced together a complete game.

Auburn attacked LSU cornerback Zy Alexander all night and he took it personally. The first-year Tiger ended the night with nine total tackles and a pair of impressive pass breakups for the defense. Hugh Freeze wanted to test the secondary and Alexander handled business.

Up front, the LSU defensive line silenced the naysayers. There’s been speculation surrounding this group, and on Saturday, Paris Shand, Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo made impactful plays when needed. Shand certainly stole the show for LSU in the first half while carrying his success into the third quarter as well. The box score may only say four total tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup, but Shand shined for LSU.

A balanced defense led by Harold Perkins steered the ship for the purple and gold. It was a productive night for the sophomore stud after recording 4 tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a pass breakup on Saturday. The “stat sheet stuffer” got it done on the edge for LSU in a big-time effort.

The Numbers: LSU allowed just 293 total yards on Saturday night with Auburn tossing 154 yards through the air with 139 yards on the ground.

Daniels Dazzles, Diggs Unlocking New Element

When Notre Dame transfer Logan Diggs entered the Transfer Portal, Brian Kelly made the call immediately. Fast forward to now and the investment in Diggs has paid dividends.

The addition of the complete running back has unlocked a new dimension to this LSU offense and it was put on full display once again on Saturday.

The balanced attack of LSU’s offense has been the headliner all season. With Daniels dazzling through the air and Diggs paving the way in the rushing attack, it has pieced together a near unstoppable offense.

Daniels ended the day with nearly 500 total yards while Diggs totaled 97 yards on the ground with impactful runs through all four quarters. There was no answer for the level offense the Tigers attain with Auburn shuffling around all night in Tiger Stadium.

What’s next for LSU? The Tigers will stay in Baton Rouge for next weekend’s contest against Army with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m CT.