The No. 2 LSU Tigers escaped a scare on Saturday night in Alabama, leaving with a 12-10 victory over the Auburn Tigers on the strength of a first-quarter safety.
After Auburn came back from a 9-0 deficit to take a one-point lead at halftime, LSU took advantage of a Quan Bray dropped punt return near midfield. After moving deeper into Auburn territory, consecutive Kenny Hilliard rushes left LSU a yard short of a first down. Les Miles opted to kick a field goal, and Drew Alleman knocked home the 31-yarder. That gave the Bayou Bengals the final 12-10 lead.
The decisive safety took place after LSU drove 56 yards in 11 plays on its first offensive possession, but gave up the ball when quarterback Zach Mettenberger fumbled on the two-yard line. But Auburn committed a false start penalty and was pushed back against its own goal line, Auburn was tackled inside its own endzone when Tre Mason couldn't find a way out.
LSU then went up 9-0 on the next possession on a one-yard Michael Ford touchdown run due to the short field from the safety.
Box Score Hero: RB Spencer Ware, LSU. In an offensive struggle, Ware rushed for 5.6 yards per game, finishing with 90 rushing yards on the night.
Rankings Ramifications: Winning by two points against a 1-3 team whose only win came in overtime against a Sun Belt foe might not sit well with some voters. LSU's No. 2 ranking might be in jeopardy.
But Did They Cover? LSU was favored by 18 points and did not cover.
For More On This Game head to LSU Tigers blog And The Valley Shook, or visit Auburn site College And Magnolia.
Next Week's Schedule: Auburn has a bye week, while LSU plays its final non-conference game by hosting Towson.
This article was originally published on SB Nation.com.
