Meet Your Insider
Well, hey there, Auburn family, and welcome to The Cover Window! I'm Lacey Bellamy. I'm a proud former sorority president on the Plains, and I can recite every Iron Bowl down by heart. Ask me anything. I mean it. I'll even act them out, and in my reenactments, I always play the hero. Every single time. I travel with this team and I live with this team. I'm sweet as sweet tea, and I'll have the sharpest take in the room, all wrapped in a nice Alabama drawl. When we win, I roll an imaginary oak in imaginary toilet paper and shriek "War Eagle!" When we lose, I sip my lemonade with great dignity and say "bless their hearts" about absolutely everybody. Every week you'll get the players, the coaches and the matchup, plus a little Southern charm. "War Eagle, bless their hearts."
The School in 60 Seconds
Auburn has a national championship from 2010, the season Cam Newton led the Tigers. Home is Jordan-Hare Stadium, listed at 87,451, and last Saturday's result would have rolled every tree on the Plains: Auburn beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on a field goal as time expired. The series with LSU goes back 57 games, and it's been full of nail-biters, including LSU wins of 22-21 in 2018 and 23-20 in 2019. Auburn has won some big ones in this series too, like 48-11 in 2020.
The Coach and the Scheme
Alex Golesh came to Auburn from South Florida. He was hired on Nov. 30, 2025. The 2026 numbers say Auburn runs a balanced offense, with about 55% runs at 4.71 yards a carry. It averages 26.8 points and 393.7 yards a game. The defense is the real belle of the ball: it allows 21.8 points a game and just 3.56 yards a carry, with 16 sacks. Auburn has forced 11 turnovers and lost 9. The one thing we need to fix: 23 sacks allowed.
Players to Know
QB Byrum Brown: 1,202 passing yards and 8 TD. At Georgia he went 15 of 26 for 150 yards and a touchdown and ran 26 times for 115 yards and another score. That's a hero's performance, and I'll be reenacting it at the tailgate.
WR Keshaun Singleton: a team-high 32 catches for 367 yards and 2 TD, including a touchdown at Georgia.
LB Elijah Melendez: a team-high 52 tackles, 4 sacks and an interception. At Georgia he had 9 tackles, a sack and that interception.
K Alex McPherson: made the 34-yard field goal at the horn to beat Georgia.
The Conference Picture
Auburn is 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC, 2-1 at home and 1-1 on the road, plus a neutral-site win over Baylor. The Tigers aren't ranked yet. They lost 44-39 at home to Florida and 24-14 at Tennessee, then beat Vanderbilt and Georgia. Beating a ranked LSU team at home would put Auburn right back in the SEC conversation. This team plays close games and wins most of them: it's 3-1 in one-score games, and the only one-score loss was to Florida by five. That's pressure-proof, sugar.
This Week: No. 18 LSU (5-2) at Auburn (4-2)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 11 a.m. CT (noon ET) · Jordan-Hare Stadium. The network (ABC or ESPN) was not final as of my research. The forecast says 68 and sunny. A perfect day on the Plains.
Last week: Auburn beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24. Georgia tied it late, then fumbled, and Auburn recovered to set up McPherson's kick. LSU shut out No. 16 Mississippi State 31-0.
Our offense vs. their defense: this is a tough one, darlin'. LSU allows only 2.82 yards a carry and 15.9 points a game, and it has 24 sacks. Brown's legs will matter a lot.
Their offense vs. our defense: LSU averages 40.4 points and 504.0 yards a game. QB Sam Leavitt threw four touchdowns against Mississippi State, and RB Dilin Jones has 567 yards. One thing in our favor: LSU is 0-2 on the road this season.
Series: LSU leads 33-23-1 as played, 30-23-1 officially. LSU won the last listed meeting, 48-18 in 2023.
One more set of numbers for the notebook: this team has 16 sacks and has allowed 23, with 11 takeaways against 9 giveaways, and it has 8 rushing and 10 passing touchdowns.
Availability: an unofficial injury page lists nobody for Auburn. I found no official availability report for either team as of Oct. 18, 2026.
What decides it: (1) Can we protect Brown? We've allowed 23 sacks, and they have 24. (2) Can our defense slow down Leavitt? (3) Can we carry the Georgia energy into a second straight big game?
And to Cece Thibodeaux, LSU's insider: welcome to the Plains, sugar. Bring your beignets. We'll bring the toilet paper.
Local Flavor (unsponsored, not an ad)
Watching in Auburn? Southern Greens on North College Street for a game-day lunch, a mighty fine one.
My call: LSU Tigers 28, Auburn Tigers 22.