Auburn's Offensive Line Problems Return in Ugly Loss to LSU

the Auburn Tigers offense took a major step backward in Saturday's 38-17 loss to LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

After finding success against No. 1 Georgia a week ago, the Tigers struggled to move the football against LSU, particularly when it came to running the ball and protecting quarterback Byrum Brown.

And the performance raises questions about whether Auburn's offensive line actually made improvements against Georgia.

The Tigers finished with just 67 rushing yards against LSU, averaging 1.9 yards per carry, including yardage lost on sacks.

Jeremiah Cobb finished with 14 rushing yards, while Omar Mabson added 13.

Brown led the team with 21 rushing yards, but Auburn's running backs only received 11 carries throughout the contest.

That's a significant concern considering Auburn had just rushed for 192 yards against Georgia.

The Tigers found success utilizing Brown's mobility against the Bulldogs, but LSU was prepared to take that away.

And Auburn didn't have much of an answer.

"We didn't find enough creative ways to be able to generate run game," Golesh said following the loss.

One of the biggest differences between the Georgia and LSU games was the performance of Auburn's offensive line.

The Tigers struggled to protect Brown throughout the afternoon, allowing seven sacks.

LSU defensive end Princewill Umanmielen consistently created problems for Auburn's offensive tackles, particularly on the left side of the line.

And the lack of protection made it difficult for Auburn to establish any consistency offensively.

Golesh acknowledged that Auburn couldn't hold up against LSU's defensive front.

"When we were protecting with six, it didn't look pretty," Golesh said.

That's important because Auburn appeared to make progress along the offensive line against Georgia.

But Saturday's performance showed that those problems haven't gone away.

Auburn now faces another difficult road matchup against Ole Miss, and the Tigers can't afford another performance like Saturday's.

The offensive line has struggled with consistency throughout the season, and the running game has suffered because of it.

Golesh took responsibility for Auburn's inability to find success on the ground.

"I'll own 100% of the plan wasn't good enough," Golesh said.

And while the coaching staff deserves criticism for the offensive game plan, the players up front have to execute better.

Auburn has shown it can run the football against talented SEC defenses.

But the Tigers have to find a way to do it consistently.