Insider Notes From PM:

In its last six home games against Power-5 conference teams, Auburn’s offense has scored more than one touchdown just once, that coming with two against Texas A&M last Saturday.

The Tigers scored one touchdown in a 19-13 loss to Clemson in the season-opener. Last season, they settled for three field goals against Mississippi State and scored one touchdown each in losses to Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama. That's sobering on the eve of another game at Jordan-Hare against LSU.

We asked a former SEC coach who watches Auburn closely what problems he sees in Auburn’s offense. He pointed to three issues – a struggle to fit the offense to quarterback Sean White’s skills, the loss of offensive line coach J.B. Grimes and the lack of pass-catching threat at tight end.

Here’s specifically what he said:

“Their quarterback fits some of the dynamics of their offense, but they don’t seem to have found a way to fit them to him. No offense to anyone else, but J.B. Grimes is one of the best offensive line coaches, not just in the SEC but in the country. They thought they had their tight end in the freshman (Landon Rice), but he’s gone now and apparently they don’t feel comfortable throwing to who they have.”

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Auburn has not completed a pass to a true tight end since Nick Marshall hit C.J. Uzomah for a 20-yard touchdown in the Outback Bowl at the end of the 2014 season. H-backs, who sometimes line up like tight ends, have caught just four passes in that 16-game stretch.

What we’re hearing from the inside:

-- As dynamic as he is with the ball in his hands, junior college transfer John Franklin III is not ready to take on the entire load at quarterback.

-- While freshman Woody Barrett is getting some snaps in practice, there is at this point no intention of playing him. Not only did he not arrive until late July, he missed two weeks of work in preseason camp with an ankle injury.

-- Are changes coming on the offensive line? No one will say one way or the other, which seems to indicate something is happening. It’ll probably be game time before there’s an answer.

-- True freshman defensive linemen Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown continue to play at a high level. Said one insider: “They’re freaks, both of them. No other way to put it.”

-- As promised, there has been extreme focus this week on drastically reducing the number of negative plays on offense.

-- Running backs Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson, along with wide receiver Tony Stevens, have been the highlights on offense in the first three games.

-- Auburn coaches believe LSU is significantly better on defense than either Clemson or Texas A&M.

-- Graduate transfer linebacker T.J. Neal, stronger against the run than the pass, could get his first extended playing time against LSU.