Auburn @ LSU preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2016 ) Louisiana State 13, Auburn 18

Auburn couldn't have asked for a better start to its conference schedule - but the real test begins this weekend, as the No. 11 Tigers kick off a three-game road trip with a visit to LSU. Auburn has racked up 144 points in three games to open SEC play, and will look for a similarly dominant offensive showing against an LSU team ranked inside the top 30 in points allowed per game.

Auburn's latest triumph - a 44-23 rout of Ole Miss - saw the Tigers rack up 561 yards of total offense while breaking out to a 35-3 halftime lead and cruising from there. Head coach Gus Malzahn was equally impressed with his team's defensive showing against the Rebels, saying after the game: "Our first defense held them to 10 points, and I think if we had kept the first defense in, then we could have held them to 10 points the whole game." That's what LSU hopes to accomplish this weekend after evening its SEC record with a thrilling 17-16 win over then-No. 21 Florida. "We wanted to have energy, be upbeat on the sideline, have some fun out there, have each other's back and get a win," quarterback Danny Etling said afterward.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Auburn -7

ABOUT AUBURN (5-1, 3-0 SEC): Malzahn plans to give Kamryn Pettway more rest moving forward as the standout running back deals with lingering injuries that have limited him to 61 carries on the season - 34 coming in a one-sided win over Mercer. “You make the calls that you think are the best at that time,” Malzahn told reporters earlier this week. “You always have the ability to look back and say, 'Well, we probably should have rested him more.'” Fortunately for the Tigers, they haven't needed him - Kerryon Johnson has been sensational in relief with 504 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns, while Kam Martin has added 260 yards and a TD on just 32 carries.

ABOUT LSU (4-2, 1-1): Running back Derrius Guice made headlines with back-to-back 100-yard, two-touchdown performances to open the season, but is battling injuries that have limited his effectiveness since; he returned to action last week after missing the previous game against Troy, but had just 50 rushing yards on 17 carries against the Gators. Etling, who has thrown six touchdowns against just one interception in 2017, will need to be at his best against an Auburn pass defense limiting opponents to just 176.3 yards per game - 20th-fewest in Division I. LSU's pass-defense unit has been slightly better, allowing the 18th-fewest yards per game through the air (171.5).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Etling has exceeded 200 passing yards just once in six games this season.

2. Auburn prevailed 18-13 in last year's meeting between the teams.

3. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham leads the SEC in completion percentage (71.2) and yards per attempt (9.7).

PREDICTION: Auburn 23, LSU 20