LSU’s late flurry stuns Auburn

LSU 27, NO. 10 AUBURN 23

BATON ROUGE — D.J. Chark returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown, Connor Culp kicked clutch field goals of 42 and 36 yards inside the final three minutes, and LSU rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat No. 10 Auburn 27-23 on Saturday.

LSU’s defense improved dramatically in the second half, not allowing a point. That enabled LSU (5-2, 2-1) to win with special teams play.

Russell Gage made a diving 14-yard touchdown reception and had a 70-yard run that set up another TD for LSU.

Kerryon Johnson rushed for 156 yards and a short TD for Auburn (5-2, 3-1), which had won four in a row.

Arden Key’s sack of Jarrett Stidham with two seconds left squelched Auburn’s last hope of a comeback.

After LSU quarterback Danny Etling kneeled to end it, LSU players streamed wildly onto the field and then ran toward the corner of the end zone closest to their locker room to acknowledge the school’s frenzied student section.

Auburn had only 64 yards of offense in the second half.

Derrius Guice rushed for 71 yards for LSU, including a crucial third-down conversion in which he ran through a tackler at the first-down marker, setting up the goahead field goal.

Etling finished 13 of 24 for 206 yards and 1 TD.

Stidham completed only 9 of 26 passes — although some crucial ones were dropped — for 165 yards and 1 TD, a 49-yarder to Will Hastings.

Capitalizing on Chark’s fumble near midfield, Stidham found Hastings open deep down the middle to make it 10-0. On Auburn’s next series, Ryan Davis’ 52yard gain on a screen pass set up Johnson’s touchdown.

Auburn led 20-0 before LSU clawed back within single digits thanks to Gage. His long run to the Auburn 7 on a jet sweep set up receiver Stephen Sullivan’s fourth-down score on another end around.

Gage’s touchdown made it 23-14 shortly before halftime.

AP/MATTHEW HINTON LSU place-kicker Connor Culp is carried off the field on the shoulders of teammates Jibrail Abdul-Aziz (58) and Cameron Gable after kicking two field goals in the final 2:36 to give the Tigers a 27-23 victory over No. 10 Auburn in Baton Rouge.