September 19, 2015
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Auburn didn't have an answer for LSU running back Leonard Fournette, who trumped a comeback bid that started from way back Saturday in Tiger Stadium.
The big running back rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns, and was the engine that carried LSU over Auburn 45-21.
Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson ran for a touchdown and threw for two more, but it wasn't enough to overcome LSU's 24-0 halftime advantage.
Auburn came out with some life to start the second half. Johnson raced 65 yards straight up the middle for a touchdown early in the third quarter. It was the longest TD run by an Auburn quarterback since Cam Newton scored on a 71-yard run in 2010.
But Fournette was strong early, going 29 yards for a touchdown to go over 200 yards on the day for a 31-7 lead with 10:56 left in the third quarter. Later, Johnson threw a 9-yard TD pass to Melvin Ray to cut it to 38-14 and then a 10-yard touchdown pass to Duke Williams.
Auburn fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the SEC heading into next Saturday's home game against Mississippi State. LSU improved to 2-0 overall and 2-0 in the league.
Fournette didn't waste time letting his intentions known. He raced 71 yards on the first offensive play of the game and had 169 rushing yards by halftime. LSU led 24-0 by then behind Fournette and quarterback Brandon Harris, who had 63 rushing yards in the first half.
LSU had the ball 8½ more minutes in the first half.