• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Oct 25, 2009

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Just like every other week of the football season, the next several days in Baton Rouge will be filled with LSU fans debating this or that about the Tigers and their place in the Southeastern Conference hierarchy and on the national level.

The difference now, though, is, those debates figure to revolve around a lot more positive vibes than at any time this season.

Because for the first time this season, LSU made the kind of definitive statement it hasn’t in an SEC game for quite a while.

Sparked by an energized offense and a suffocating defense in the first half, the No. 9-ranked Tigers trampled Auburn 31-10 Saturday, expunging whatever remained of the bad taste from a home loss to Florida two weeks earlier.

The victory was the most lopsided against Auburn since a 31-7 rout in 2003 and LSU’s largest margin of victory in an SEC game since it thumped Mississippi State 45-0 to open the 2007 season.

And the triumph comes after two weeks of back-to-basics practice time following a 13-3 loss to the then No. 1-ranked Gators on Oct. 10.

That setback prompted a wave of questions and scrutiny about LSU’s offense, which slogged through the first six weeks of the season averaging only 295 yards per game.

“Our football team went to the open week with the want to improve,” LSU coach Les Miles said.

“This is a nice win, but not one we’re going to rest on and reflect on, but (instead) choose to improve on very ambitiously.”

Although not a flawless performance, the thorough dismantling at Tiger Stadium — especially of one of the SEC’s best offenses — should be the tinder for a new topic of debate in Baton Rouge and around the league.

Perhaps even the country.

With the offense clicking like it did Saturday and a defense getting better every week, is LSU now on the same level as SEC and national frontrunners Florida and Alabama who are the top teams in every poll, including the BCS standings?

That debate is now wide-open because LSU (6-1, 4-1 SEC) looked very much the part of a national contender Saturday against an Auburn team that three weeks ago was poised to join the very same discussion.

LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson had a career night, hitting 21 of 31 passes for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Receivers Terrance Toliver and Brandon LaFell had busy nights with nine catches for 86 yards and six grabs for 67 yards, respectively. Each snared a touchdown pass.

On the heels of a putrid 162-yard performance versus Florida, LSU racked up a season-high 376 total yards, with 100 of those coming on two plays from the crown jewels of the 2008 recruiting class — Rueben Randle’s spectacular 31-yard reception and Russell Shepard’s 69-yard touchdown burst.

“During the off week, we focused on a lot of things that we made mistakes on,” said Jefferson, who also showed more willingness to run and finished with 48 rushing yards (excluding sacks). “Coming out and executing the way we did offensively really gave us a confidence boost.”

Added LaFell, “After you lose a tough game like we did against Florida, you have to come out there and fight real hard in practice. We did that, and we came out and played better (Saturday).”

That half of the story was a pleasant change for an offense that has had to hear for two weeks about being last or near the bottom in so many SEC statistical categories.

For the defense, Saturday was just the latest chapter in a nicely unfolding story of season-long improvement, bordering on championship domination.

LSU limited Auburn’s high-octane offense to a season-low 193 yards and forced three turnovers. AU quarterback Chris Todd never got a chance to get comfortable and finished with only 47 yards through the air. Tailback Ben Tate was only slightly better with 67 rushing yards on 18 carries.

Auburn (5-3, 2-3) entered the game ranked second in the SEC in total offense, rushing offense and passing offense.

“Pretty much from the beginning to the end, (LSU) executed better than we did and pretty much beat us in every phase of the football game,” first-year Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.

“Make no mistake about it: That’s one of the best defenses in the country.”

With LSU clamping down on Todd and Tate, Auburn scratched out only 42 first-half yards on 27 snaps. AU’s seven possessions before halftime included four punts and two turnovers. Auburn ran only five plays in LSU territory in the first half and never got deeper than the 39-yard-line.

That futility loomed large because LSU seized the lead quickly and played the final 56:09 planted firmly in the driver’s seat.

LSU cruised to a 17-0 halftime lead with the efficient and more diverse offensive attack generating 186 yards and keeping Auburn’s offense watching from the sideline.

Jefferson and Toliver hooked up for a 14-yard touchdown pass on a perfect fade pattern on LSU’s first series, capping an 83-yard march that put Auburn’s defense — which contributed three penalties for 35 yards on the drive — on its heels the rest of the night.

On the first series, Jefferson threw downfield several times, a promising sign of progress from the previous two games when he seemed hesitant to do so.

“Part of the improvement is certainly at the quarterback spot,” Miles said. “I think you watched him really execute pretty well. … But I think we can catch it better and throw it better, and I think that he is the kind of quarterback and kind of competitor that expects himself to be better. He’s a confident guy. He’ll look to improve.”

From the opening series, LSU never looked back.

Harry Coleman dumped Todd for a sack-and-fumble late in the first quarter, and Danny McCray smothered the ball at the AU 16. Three plays later, Jefferson rambled 15 yards on a scramble into the end zone and a 14-0 lead.

Josh Jasper tacked on a 32-yard field goal right before halftime to finish off a short drive set up when McCray pounced on another loose ball, this one when Auburn punt returner Phillip Pierre-Louis botched a punt.

After McCray’s recovery at the 36, Jefferson darted upfield for 9 yards on an option keeper for a first down and zipped an 8-yard pass to Toliver to move the ball to the 15. Two plays later, Jasper pumped his kick through for the 17-0 cushion.

Despite the marked improvement in the first half, though, LSU squandered a chance to be even more comfortable at the break.

Jasper missed a 49-yard field goal in the first quarter and Jefferson lost a fumble in the end zone at the end of an otherwise nicely executed 54-yard drive.

“We still want to run the football and throw the football with balance and have the ability to do both,” Miles said. “We throw for 250 (yards), and we rush for 122 (yards), and an offense comes to life. I still don’t think we are hitting on all cylinders. I think we can be better and more efficient.”

Those first-half misfires seemed to serve as motivation, because the third quarter was when LSU slammed the door.

Ignited by Chase Clement’s 19-yard return on the second-half kickoff, LSU churned out a rapid-fire 45-yard touchdown drive to open the third quarter. Jefferson squeezed a 26-yard pass to Trindon Holliday to get LSU close and then connected with LaFell on 17-yard comeback route in the end zone.

Auburn actually moved the ball on its first two possessions of the third quarter, gaining 101 yards on 19 snaps.

But whatever momentum might’ve been there for the taking evaporated when Shepard took a handoff on an inside counter and sprinted 69 yards for his first career TD.

“I was not going to get caught on that,” Shepard said in his first media session since a preseason media day. “I was going to take it to the house.

“I told myself before that play, the offensive line was going to open the hole and I needed to hit it and go. … It was a beautiful thing.”

Beautiful and decisive as it turned out. Shepard’s touchdown run boosted LSU’s lead to 31-3 with 2:01 left on the third-quarter clock and removed whatever drama remained.

Auburn pieced together a pride-saving touchdown in the final seconds to avoid matching the worst loss ever to LSU.

But even that couldn’t detract from the statement LSU delivered on a brisk night in front of a full house and with a national television audience tuned in.

“We played a complete game,” Toliver said. “The last six games, we weren’t playing up to our ability and (Saturday) we did.”

So, let the debate begin.