Great article by Dennis Dodd

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When Auburn, LSU hook up, it's rarely about scoring

Sep. 16, 2006

By Dennis Dodd

AUBURN, Ala. -- It was a blow to Al Borges' ego coming to the SEC. Great money and everything but the nation's best conference wasn't necessarily what was best for this play-calling wizard.

The Auburn offensive coordinator had spent most of his career measuring his self-worth by the bulbs on the scoreboard. In the West, where he was born, where the pass and points are king. That wasn't the case Saturday as No. 3 Auburn held off No. 6 LSU 7-3.

Nobody needs to tell Buster Davis how much this loss will hurt. (AP)

It was light 'em up and the beers go down smoother after the game; the phone keeps ringing with job offers.

That's basically how the 51-year old son of West Coast football arrived here in 2004. Borges spent eight years in the Pac-10 and made a Heisman finalist out of UCLA's Cade McNown.

Then Borges came to the SEC, where the conference changed him, more than he changed the conference.

Long before the ugly totals of Saturday, Borges reasoned, it became OK to gain exactly six yards on your first four possessions.

It was routine to play field position, let the punter, of all things, determine the outcome.

On days like Saturday, it was the best feeling in the world to score one touchdown while gaining only 182 yards.

But it took a while, for a guy whose professional existence and self-worth were based on lighting up those bulbs.

"Absolutely (it was tough)," Borges said. "You're the first guy to ask me that question ... This is one of the few places I've ever been where you could win a game 7-3. Most of the places I've been if you score seven points you have no chance."

In the LSU-Auburn series, a touchdown is cause for a legal holiday. Winning by four is practically a blowout. Six net points have separated the two rivals since 2000. Since 2002, Auburn has outscored LSU 72-70.

If these two programs were any more intimate, there would be prostate exams all around.

No wonder the winner of this game has advanced to the SEC title game out of the West Division five of the past six years. They are 21st century powerhouses separated by the width of a sheet of paper.

Mirror images if you consider LSU has won a national championship (2003) and Auburn went undefeated (2004) this decade. They are so familiar that Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp looked across the field Saturday at 22 players he used to coach while holding the same job at LSU.

"I'm happy for the kids I'm with and I hurt for those kids because I've been on that side," said Muschamp, who took a detour to Nick Saban's Dolphins in 2005 before coming to Auburn.

So, yes, it has become kind of a big game.

When was the last time you saw a coach (Auburn's Tommy Tuberville) call a timeout trying to ice the kicker?

On the last play of the first half?

Where else is the biggest play of the day a tipped pass?

LSU has given up a touchdown in three games this season. That's it.

It is out of the SEC West race. Auburn holds the tiebreaker in the division and would have to lose twice.

LSU, Auburn and the SEC

The winner of the LSU vs. Auburn game has reached the SEC title five of the past six years.

Yr Game SEC Champ.

'06 AUB 7, LSU 3

'05 LSU 20, AUB 17 L, Georgia 34-13

'04 AUB 10, LSU 9 W, Tenn. 38-28

'03 LSU 31, AUB 7 W, Georgia 34-13

'02 AUB 31, LSU 7 Did Not Make It

'01 LSU 27, AUB 14 W, Tenn. 31-20

'00 AUB 34, LSU 17 L, Florida 28-6

Don't even talk about a national championship.

"Other than the Iron Bowl, this one is bigger," Tuberville said. "This is the group that has consistently knocked us out or we knocked them out of the SEC championship game."

No wonder Borges doesn't pull out his hair. He can't. He's bald. Naturally, we think, but who knows? He merely rolls with it. Borges was good enough to coach the SEC's best offense last year. Don't get excited. The Tigers were a mediocre 37th nationally. That might have something to do with four of the top nine defenses being in his league.

"It is the closest thing to professional football I've seen in college," Borges said. "The SEC is a great defensive conference ... There is so much athleticism, so much speed. I have a buddy that coaches at Florida (offensive line coach Steve Addazio). I told him, even the poor teams in this conference have good defensive players."

It tears your heart out to send No. 6 LSU home with lovely parting gifts. A case can be made for the Baton Rouge Tigers playing better defensively than their Auburn counterparts.

Based on Saturday, tackle Glenn Dorsey (three tackles for loss, 1½ sacks) should be named an All-American right now. End of discussion. Kenny Irons, arguably the SEC's best offensive player, was held to 70 yards, 2.8 per rush.

"The loss," LSU coach Les Miles said. "will be difficult to handle."

But Auburn felt just as crushed last year in Baton Rouge when kicker John Vaughn missed five field goals.

LSU survived to win 20-17 in overtime. Vaughn came home and found a couple of death threats on his answering machine.

Borges, the Tigers and Tuberville weren't great this day, just good enough. Vaughn missed another field goal, sending Jordan-Hare hopes into the dumper. Meanwhile, LSU's Colt David shook off Tuberville's timeout to put LSU ahead 3-0 at halftime.

"This was one of those games where we were not in sync and we needed some help," Borges said.

His offense put together one scoring drive. Seventy-five of those 182 yards came on the first possession of the second half. On the 12th play, quarterback Brandon Cox snuck in from a yard out.

Other than that, Auburn snapped the ball 46 times and gained 107 yards.

Both teams were hanging on in the second half. Auburn played without backup corner Patrick Lee, who became "violently sick" before the game, according to Tuberville. Cox was nearly knocked out of the game in the first half after a hit that left his legs numb. A timeout and chants of "Brandon, Brandon" gave him enough adrenaline to keep going.

"I jumped up when I heard them chanting my name," Cox said. "Then I hurt my ankle."

Tight end Cole Bennett was hobbled. A third-string defensive back played during the last series when LSU was stopped at the Auburn 4 on the last play of the game.

"I had my heels on the (goal line)," said safety Eric Brock who tackled LSU's Craig Davis. "I told myself no matter what, they aren't going to get past the end zone."

Auburn almost didn't make it to that point. With 2:22 left, defensive back Zach Gilbert was flagged near the goal line for pass interference. Officials wisely picked up the flag after realizing that Brock had tipped the ball first.

No tip, flag stays, because Gilbert was practically tackling LSU's Early Doucet.

At 3-0, Auburn has a loooong way to go before ridding itself of the bitter memory of 2004, Borges' first with the program. Under the coordinator's guidance, quarterback Jason Campbell became the league's offensive MVP. Auburn went undefeated that year but received the BCS shaft.

Hope is renewed. With Notre Dame's loss to Michigan, Auburn will most likely move up to No. 2, at least in the poll that doesn't count in the BCS (AP).

More urgently, it is over the LSU hurdle, if not the grind of the SEC that lies ahead.

"Coach Tub told us it was going to be like a heavyweight fight," Brock said. "This one right here is the grudge match -- down and dirty, two physical teams. For a fan what more can you ask for?"

Beers for Borges, maybe? On a night when his offense was out sync, his ego was up for buying the first round.

[MDM4AU 332]

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