AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn's game against LSU checks all the boxes for a high-stakes clash. Unbeaten teams, both ranked in the top 12. Divisional rivals with a history of producing memorable games. A prime TV slot.
"Any time LSU and Auburn get together, it's going to be big," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "And then, of course, it's obviously the home opener in the SEC West."
No. 7 Auburn hosts No. 12 LSU Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.
"This goes way back in history that whenever LSU and Auburn get together, it's going to be a physical game," Malzahn said. "They know that, we know that; it's always a good one, so the intensity will be very high."
In his weekly news conference Tuesday, Malzahn also said…
Dontavius Russell, senior defensive lineman
"He's been around a long time. He's been through the ups and downs and this will be his last rodeo. He is one of our leaders and he seizes the moment. That's what we want out of all of our leaders. He knows exactly what it takes and he's leading our team like I wanted him to lead and our coaches wanted him to lead. Not only is he an excellent player, he's one of those guys that gets overlooked. If you really watch him play in and out, he's really a technician, a disruptor and he's a dominant player. You add to his leadership and he has the ability to be a multiplier and affect others. That tells you a lot about him."
Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, whom Malzahn hired from LSU after the 2015 season
"First of all, Coach Steele is a professional from the word go, and that was what I was looking for in someone. He has great knowledge of our league, understands our league, and is a great teacher. I was looking for someone that is a fit with me. His philosophy matched up with mine; that's why he's been a very good fit. He's a relationship guy, and he's really good with relationships and our players have really responded. He's got our defense in a really good spot right now. Philosophy-wise, he is a detailed guy, he's an organized guy, and he lets our players play. He's very good with scheme and knows the strengths of our guys and turns them loose."
Anthony Schwartz, freshman receiver
"He has impressed us. He really wasn't here for the majority of the summer as he was running track, so his first time getting to know the offense was in fall camp. The way he has progressed, he's a very smart football player and he's good with the ball in his hands. He made a couple of cuts and made some guys miss. He's going to give us flexibility to do a lot of different things this year. The (Alabama State) game gave us a chance to play our freshmen, not just Schwartz and to see what they could do. Some were very impressive, and some need a little more work."
Roster updates
"Aidan Marshall has left our team, decided to do something different. Arryn Siposs will be our starting punter now. We feel very good about Arryn -- feel like he's done a good job. Ian Shannon will come back and will be our back-up punter moving forward with the rest of the season.
"A couple of updates on some guys that got banged up: Driscoll, Horton, Darrell Williams and Slayton all will practice today. We'll see how that goes and see how things progress throughout the week. Will Hastings and Eli Stove -- we do expect them both to play more than they played last week and get another good week of practice under their belt full speed and go from there. Overall, I know our guys are excited to be at home and the SEC opener and playing a very good LSU opponent."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer