Auburn quarterback Bo Nix (10) eludes a tackle by LSU defensive lineman Ali Gaye (11) as he carries the ball during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Bo Nix generated 381 yards of total offense and four touchdowns as Auburn routed LSU 48-11 inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

Auburn (4-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) was successful in affecting LSU quarterback TJ Finley, a true freshman who was making his first career road start in place of the injured Myles Brennan. Finley had two interceptions and one strip-sack fumble that directly led to three Auburn touchdowns.

Nix distributed the ball well in the victory, as Eli Stove, Anthony Schwartz, Seth Williams, and JJ Pegues all recorded at least three receptions. Running back Tank Bigsby added 71 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“They’re the defending national champs, and they’ve been playing well the last two weeks,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “And to dismantle them like we did, I think that says a lot about our team.”

LSU (2-3, 2-3) struggled to find any sort of offensive balance against Auburn, rushing for only 32 yards on 27 carries. Finley completed 13 of 24 passes for 143 yards before getting pulled in the third quarter for third-string quarterback Max Johnson. LSU’s offense went 5 of 17 on third downs.

“Give credit to Auburn,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “They came to play. The turnovers really hurt us. Our defense was playing better early… but we’ve got to play for 60 minutes. We always talk about coming out stronger, and we didn’t do that.”

Following a scoreless first quarter, Auburn scored six touchdowns in the second and third quarters alone. Auburn’s 48 points were the most the program has ever scored in a game against LSU, and the win snapped its three-game losing streak in the rivalry series.

THE TAKEAWAY

LSU: Ed Orgeron’s Tigers continue their post-national championship blues, as they now have a losing record at the halfway point of their regular season. A midseason turnaround will be tough, as LSU will play three teams that entered Saturday ranked inside the top 10 during the second half of its schedule.

Auburn: After several narrow wins, Auburn has a statement victory that it can take into its final four games of the season. Nix has put together two strong performances following a rough start to his second campaign as the Tigers’ starting quarterback, which bodes well for an offense starting to hit its stride.