AUBURN, Ala. – When Auburn plays LSU, expect the unexpected.
Old-school fans can tell you about fires, earthquakes, interceptions and epic fake field goals.
Younger fans might point to Cam Newton's Heisman-clinching run in 2010.
Auburn tight end
John Samuel Shenker knows as well as anyone what it's like to compete in this SEC West rivalry.
Saturday's meeting will be Shanker's fifth Auburn-LSU game. His first career start came at LSU as a sophomore in 2019.
"Probably one of the more physical games that you ever play in," said Shenker, one of Auburn's three captains along with
Derick Hall and
Owen Pappoe. "It's one of the reasons why you come here. The attitude of both teams. It's always an awesome environment, no matter where we are. We're very excited about that."
Last season, Auburn won in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1999. Shenker made five receptions for a career-high 102 yards, the first 100-yard game for an Auburn tight end since 1994.
In 2020, Auburn hammered LSU 48-11 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, an anomalous victory margin in a series in which 12 of the past 18 meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less.
Seeking its third straight victory vs. LSU for the first time since Auburn won four consecutive in 1989 and 1992-94, the Tigers host the Bengal Tigers on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network.
The 2022 Stripe the Stadium game returns to Jordan-Hare on Saturday. Find the section number that corresponds with your game ticket from the orange and blue color guide listed
here and wear your favorite orange or blue shirt on gameday.
Q: You made your first start last week, got the win. What was that experience like?
A: Coming out there and knowing I was getting the start, it was big. I knew I had to step up for the team any way I could. It was a game of emotions, definitely an emotional roller coaster. It was one of the most stressful games I've ever been a part of, and I've been playing for a long time. But we persevered, we fought, and at the end of the day, we got a W. It doesn't matter how pretty it was, how ugly it was. It just matters that you got a W.
Q: What has this whole journey to Auburn been like for you?
A: It's been a journey. There have been ups and downs. Coming from Hoover, big football school, and being used to being that guy. And then going to a situation at Oregon that wasn't the best for me personally. But being out there taught me a lot. It taught me how to grow up earlier because I went out there at 17. It was good to get that experience and then get the opportunity to come back home and play in the SEC. I knew once I entered the portal, Auburn was where I wanted to be. My journey has been a crazy one, but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world because it got me to the spot I'm at right now.
Q: What is the mindset now going into LSU?
A: Just go out there and execute. Just go out there, be me and do whatever I can to help the team win. I'm the quarterback, it starts with me, so the guys feed off my energy. When adversity hits, they're going to look at me. We go how I go. It's my birthday, too. It's really fun to play a game like this on your birthday, and it means a little more. I'm going to do whatever I can to get to 2-0 in SEC play, 1-0 for the week and just enjoy that birthday win.
Auburn trails the all-time series with LSU 31-24-1 but leads 13-8 in games played in Auburn. The home team has won 18 of the last 22 in the series. Twelve of the last 18 meetings in the series have been decided by seven points or less, including the four games from 2016-19, which were decided by a total of 14 points.
Last season, Auburn won in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1999 in a come-from-behind
24-19 victory. In the 2020 meeting, Auburn was a 48-11 winner at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Those 48 points were the most ever scored in the series by either team, and the 37-point margin of victory was the largest ever for Auburn in the series.
In 25 of the last 27 meetings between Auburn and LSU, at least one of the teams was ranked at the time of the game; in 14 of those, both teams were ranked.
22: The Missouri win was Auburn's first overtime victory against an SEC opponent since the 2000 Georgia game – 22 years ago. With the win, Auburn moved to 9-8 all-time in overtime games, including a 7-4 mark at home.
5: Derick Hall (5.0) and
Eku Leota (5.0) are the only SEC teammates who have each recorded at least five tackles for loss so far in 2022. Leota has recorded at least one tackle for loss in five straight games dating back to the final game of 2021.
43.5: Oscar Chapman currently ranks second in the SEC and 12th nationally in net punting average with 43.5 net yards per punt. Chapman has 15 punts on the season. Only two have been returned, and the two returns have resulted in a loss of a yard total.
65.1: The calendar turns from September to October on Saturday. With a record of 320-167-18, Auburn has won 65.1 percent of its game all-time in the month of October. The Tigers' home record in October is 175-36-3 (.825).
