AU-LSU is bigger than usual

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http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/huntsvill....xml&coll=1

AU-LSU is bigger than usual

Monday, September 11, 2006

By PHILLIP MARSHALL

Times Sports Staff pmarsh9485@msn.com

Teams ranked Nos. 3 and 6 set to meet at Jordan-Hare Saturday

AUBURN - The day of reckoning is drawing closer.

For the sixth time in Jordan-Hare Stadium history, two teams ranked in the top six will clash when No. 3 Auburn plays No. 6 LSU on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Not since 1987 have two teams so highly ranked met at Jordan-Hare. Auburn has not fared well in those games, going 1-3-1.

No. 3 Texas beat No. 5 Auburn 20-7 in 1983.

No. 4 Auburn beat No. 5 Florida 28-21 in 1983.

No. 2 Florida beat No. 6 Auburn 14-10 in 1985.

No. 4 Florida State beat No. 6 Auburn 34-6 in 1987.

No. 3 Auburn and No. 5 Tennessee tied 26-26 in 1990.

Saturday's winner will be the team to beat in the Southeastern Conference West. There's nothing the new about that.

The Auburn-LSU winner has gone to the SEC Championship Game in five of the past six seasons.

But the stakes are even higher this time. The winner will emerge as a bona fide national championship contender.

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville isn't ready to talk about a national championship, but he makes no attempt to minimize the importance of Saturday's showdown on CBS.

"If you fall behind two games, which is basically what you do if you're the loser, it makes it pretty difficult," Tuberville said. "Both teams have had good teams the past few years.

"(We've) been the best two teams in the West. Whether it's that way this year we'll have to wait and see, but that's the way it's been."

Both teams have warmed up with lopsided wins. LSU beat Louisiana-Lafayette and Arizona by identical 45-3 scores at home. Auburn beat Washington State 40-14 at home and won 34-0 at Mississippi State.

But now comes the real deal.

In 2004, a 10-9 victory over LSU at Jordan-Hare propelled Auburn to a 13-0 season. Last season, LSU won 20-17 in overtime in Baton Rouge.

The searing Auburn memory is five John Vaughn field goal tries that went awry at Tiger Stadium.

Vaughn responded by making nine straight down the stretch. This season, he is 5-for-6, including kicks of 52 and 55 yards. Going into the season, his longest field goal was 43 yards.

He says he's eager for another shot at LSU.

"I've suffered for a while, I guess you'd say," Vaughn said. "I'm pretty excited about it."

Vaughn says he is proud of the way he came back from the most difficult night of his athletic career.

"When you get kicked down like that, you have to bounce back," Vaughn said. "Anybody can stay down. I just try to do my part. Last year wasn't good enough. My teammates wrapped their arms around me and made my job a lot easier."

Coming hard: Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges said after Sunday's short practice that Cox will have to be ready to face a withering blitz.

"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, they'll come up the middle. It'll be any down and distance."

Challenge for "D": Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who was LSU's defensive coordinator the last time it visited Auburn, said the Tigers will face an onslaught from some of the nation's top talent.

"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 a lot of different ways."