In his first start as an SEC quarterback, LSU's Brandon Harris didn't get it done.
But at least he got to watch Nick Marshall show him how.
Auburn's senior quarterback led a 566-yard explosion by the Tigers' offense in a 41-7 home win. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. But it was his direction of Auburn's base running play, the zone-read option, that really had LSU on its heels. Marshall rushed 16 times for 119 yards and two more touchdowns, while the give man on the option -- senior Cameron Artis-Payne -- had 126 yards on 24 carries.
It didn't take long for Marshall to stake his team to a commanding lead. He found wide receiver Sammie Coates (four catches, 144 yards) for a 56-yard touchdown in the first quarter, then put the Tigers up 17-0 with a 7-yard touchdown run. Marshall all but put the game out of reach with 2:29 left in the first half with a 29-yard touchdown run.
It was all too much for a beleaguered LSU defense that looked equally hapless in stopping a similar offense against Mississippi State two weeks ago. And it was certainly too much for Harris, the heralded recruit who nearly won the starting job at the beginning of the season but overtook sophomore Anthony Jennings last week. Harris completed just 3 of 14 passes for 58 yards and eventually gave way to Jennings, who didn't fare much better.
Auburn (5-0) figures to make a significant move in the polls this week with Oregon, Alabama and Oklahoma each absorbing their first loss of the season. Marshall and the Tigers play at Mississippi State next week.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
