Baton Rouge, La. --- Bo Knicks ducked, dodged and danced away under pressure until he knocked out LSU and left the field celebrating Auburn's first victory in Death Valley in more than two decades.
The Knicks passed for a touchdown and ran for a score and Jarquez Hunter scored a 3-yard run with 3:11 to give No. 22 Auburn his first lead in a 24-19 win over LSU on Saturday night.
It was a determined reaction by the Knicks after doubting his status as a full-time starter a weekend earlier, when he was pulled in favor of LSU transfer quarterback TJ Finley for the second half of Auburn's comeback win over Georgia State. .
“Tonight was a blast. I came in this week with a different mindset and just to be a competitor,” Knicks said. “I just went back to what I got here. I didn't know how it was going, but I wanted to come here focused and compete like crazy and do whatever I wanted to do. "
Auburn (4-1, 1-0 Southeast Conference), which had not won at LSU's Tiger Stadium since 1999, won when Bydarius Knighton struck a fourth-down pass from Max Johnson at Auburn 39 in 1:09. stopped with.
The Knicks frustrated LSU (3-2, 1-1) with their feet, whether scrambling or running by design. His 5-yard touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter capped a series in which he ran for 23 yards on three of the final four plays.
The touchdown dragged Auburn to 19-17 at the start of the fourth quarter, and the score remained the same until the Knicks led a 92-yard, 11-play, winning drive, followed by Hunter's 44-yard run. Highlighted on a pitch to the left.
The Knicks converted several extended scrambles into decisive perfection behind a line of scrimmages.
The most unlikely — arguably one of the highlights of college football that day — saw the Knicks roll right, spin away from a diving tackle attempt by safety Major Burns, reverse direction and use a pump fake to dance around the defensive end BJ Ozulari, shrug his shoulders to slip another diving tackle attempt by Micah Baskerville, and finally a fourth-down, 24-yard touchdown strike by linebacker Navontec Strong before being pulled down along the left sideline by linebacker Navontec Strong to Tyler Froome. Divide by seconds.
"I haven't run around like this in a while. I'll have a good night's sleep when I get home," Nix said.
The play cut LSU's lead to 13-7 in the second quarter. Shortly before the end of the half, the Knicks threw down first during another fourth-down scuffle, setting up a field goal that made it 13–10.
"We couldn't face the Bo Knicks. It's the biggest thing," said LSU linebacker Damon Clark. "Way too many missed."
The Knicks finished 23 for 44 for 255 yards without a turnover. He also ran for 74 yards.
Johnson was 26 of 46 for 325 yards, but LSU's running back combined for just 46 yards on 13 carries.
"We came up with an ongoing plan, but it didn't really go according to plan," Johnson said. "We have to score touchdowns instead of field goals."
Auburn's decision to try a surprise onside kick to start the second half backfired and led to an LSU field goal. Later, Cade York's fourth field goal of the night - from 51 yards - made it 19-10.
LSU took a 13–0 lead, starting with Johnson's 31-yard touchdown in double coverage from the right edge of the Keeshon bout.
The TD catch of the bout was his ninth catch this season and he has given at least one catch in each of LSU's five matches.
THE TAKEAWAY
In addition to what could be a turning point for the Knicks, Auburn also displayed perseverance and resilience in overcoming misses and blocked field goals to snap a 10-game skid in Death Valley. Meanwhile, Auburn's defense produced three sacks and six QB haste.
LSU's season-long struggle to drive the ball resulted in a lack of balance that made it difficult to finish the drive in the red zone. York's three field goals came on drives stalled at the Auburn 14-, 8- and 5-yard line.
"Every time we try to run the football we get stuffed up," said LSU coach Ed Orgeron. "We have to find some new ways to block and we have to find some people who are going to block."
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Auburn should climb into the AP Top 25 after losing several teams, including No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 12 Mississippi, No. 10 Florida, No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 8 Arkansas.
UP NEXT
Auburn hosts unbeaten Georgia in a renewal of “The Deep South's oldest rivalry.”
LSU travels to Kentucky to play next Saturday against a Wildcats team riding high after a victory over Florida