Auburn’s Jaylin Simpson spent the Saturday of his off week doing what any veteran safety would do: sitting on his couch watching his next opponent’s game.

This year, it meant tuning into LSU’s matchup with Missouri – a high-scoring, Top-25 matchup that ended in LSU beating Missouri 49-39.

The weekend away also gave Simpson an opportunity to stay off his feet in effort to help an achy calf muscle heal up before he and the Auburn Tigers take to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers this Saturday night.

When he walked into Auburn’s Woltosz Football Performance Center to meet with media members on Tuesday, Simpson was asked how his leg was faring. He shrugged it off and said he was doing fine.

The reality is Simpson’s leg might have to be severed from his body before he’d miss Saturday’s game.

“I mean, Death Valley? I love Death Valley,” Simpson said. “I’m not going to lie. I like playing there.”

It isn’t all too often you hear opposing teams say they’re excited to play at LSU’s Tiger Stadium, which bears the affectionate nickname “Death Valley” for good reason. It’s a tough place to play, especially under the lights.

But just like Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, Simpson embraces the environment LSU fans create.

Surely it helps that the last time Simpson and Auburn played at Tiger Stadium in 2021 – with the help of heroics from current Oregon quarterback Bo Nix – Auburn snatched a win out from under LSU.

“I think after the game we started calling it 4th and Bo. We had 4th and Bo Nix that game. He played great,” Simpson recalled. “But we had a lot of fun.”

In the days leading up to Auburn’s 24-19 win over LSU in 2021, Simpson says the team was often reminded that it had been 22 years since the orange and blue Tigers beat the purple and gold Tigers on the road.

“I remember that was on our mind heavy that whole week,” Simpson said. “And we wanted to change that.”

Simpson isn’t a guy that needs added motivation to win football games.

However, a bit of added motivation never hurts. And Simpson has that this week.

Since arriving to Auburn in 2019, Simpson has played LSU four times. And as of now, his record against the Bayou Bengals is a stalemate.

“Man, since I been here in 2019, I’m 2-2 (vs.) LSU,” Simpson said. “So this is like a tie break for me. I’m trying to win that tie breaker.”

And if LSU’s offense continues on the tear it has through its first six games, Simpson will likely be one of Auburn’s biggest impact players.

Piloted by quarterback Jayden Daniels, LSU’s offense has thrown the ball. A lot.

Through his first six games of the 2023 season, Daniels has passed for just south of 2,000 yards, 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

“Dude is good. I like how he plays. He’s real tough. He gets hit a lot and he gets right back up,” Simpson said of Daniels. “He’s a tough player and he’s got tough receivers around him.”

Malik Nabors and Brian Thomas Jr. make up LSU’s elite receiving tandem.

Together, Nabors and Thomas have combined for 83 of LSU’s 97 receptions, 15 of LSU’s 19 receiving touchdowns and are both averaging more than 100 receiving yards per game.

“They are just all playmakers. They can score at any given moment, so we just got to be on our toes with them,” Simpson said. “But it’ll be fun. I like going against teams like this, real good elite players, so we just got to be on our toes with them and it’ll just be fun.”

Simpson likely looks at Saturday’s opportunity and is left drooling bit.

With how much the LSU offense throws football, it’s home cookin’ for a ball-hawking safety like Simpson, who has tallied four interceptions – including a Pick 6 – through his first five games this season.

Having been to Death Valley twice before, Simpson knows just how intense the crowd can be – especially during a night game.

And with so many takeaways under his belt, Simpson also knows just how quickly a rowdy crowd can be hushed by a turnover.

“Getting the turnover definitely brings some light to us, especially on the road… gets our offense going,” Simpson said. “We definitely need to get some turnovers this game for sure.”

That said, don’t think Simpson is focusing on maintaining his distinction of being the nation’s leader in interceptions.

“I’d rather have wins than interceptions,” Simpson said.

And there might not be a win that Simpson would rather have than the opportunity on Saturday night.