LSU-Alabama Game Blog

7:14pm KICKOFF!!  Alabama wins the toss and takes the ball first getting the ball out to the 30 yard line should be an exciting game.  Richardson off tackle left goes for 18 yards surprised to see such big gains early on here.  Richardson is the key to this game but he’s got to watch his ball handling. Big 3^rd down stop for LSU after some troubles early on…. Missed FG for Alabama and LSU has to be happy with the resolve of their defense after one drive in Tuscaloosa.

7:21pm First LSU possession of the game, let’s see what Jarrett lee and company can do after a big stop from the Tigers defense. I think we see a healthy dose of the run early with some short to mid-range passes from LSU.

7:25pm Second tone setting third down of the game with LSU in Bama territory, and LSU runs one of the smartest plays in college football and sneaks it for the first down on third and inches. Tigers’ first down is followed by a momentum stalling time out to avoid a delay of game penalty.

7:31 pm Alabama answer with a combo of pressure and some errant LSU passing, forcing a Brad Wing punt who boots a beauty that is downed at the Alabama five yard line. Field position battle could be key LSU winning it early with a great special teams play.

7:36 pm Our first huge third down play made by an offense, with Maze getting open over the middle for 19 yards and a really bad facemask penalty moving them out to the 40 yard line. The front seven of LSU has been giving Bama running game troubles after some issues on the opening drive. Alabama picks up another third down and look much more comfortable on drive two.

7:45 pm  50 yard field goal for Alabama after drive two stalls at the 30, Alabama burns a time out.  And 3 more points left on the board for Alabama, a tough field goal no doubt but LSU makes another stop in its own end gets the Tigers offense good field position starting at their own 40.

7:50 pm Jarrett Lee looks like the man we remember so fondly, a bad snap and a forced throw lead to an interception and a flipping of the field position battle. Through two, drives each Alabama has looked smoother on offense and both defenses have shown us why they are highly regarded.

7:52 pm Vern is right let’s all take a breath and celebrate a wonderful first quarter.

7:58 pm Another big 3^rd down stop by LSU this team gets after it when they get up against it, they brought pressure on 2^nd and 3^rd downs and forced another field goal, this time from 49 and IT’S BLOCKED and returned to the Bama 48. 9 points left on the field for Alabama which is a lot the way these defenses are playing.

8:02 pm Jefferson comes in for his first start of a drive,  I don’t like this move because of the effect that it has on Lee you got to show confidence after a bad pick in the kid otherwise you leave the window open for him to get too far into his head. Jefferson tries to switch the play at the line and time out number 2 for LSU with 12 to go in the second quarter.

8:10 pm LSU stalls out after an illegal shift penalty sets them back five yards, offense looks one dimensional with Jefferson in there as the only passing routs seem to be underneath. Wing drops this one inside the five and puts the long field in front of Bama once again as field position continues to play huge in this game.

8:19pm That’s at least 3rd blown coverage by the Tigers in the flats that have resulted in huge plays for Alabama, this one into the LSU red zone.  Drive stymied inside the twenty at the 17 this field goal should be and is much more manageable as Bama takes the first lead of the game 3-0.

8:31pm Jefferson airs it out and a faulty route pattern winds up getting LSU inside the 10. A TD here combined with getting the ball first next half would put LSU in great position.  Huge penalty on Kirkpatrick gives LSU a new set of down and gives Les the opportunity to get aggressive with his play-calling. Great job by Les to get the time out from the referee as the play ends, Bama holds the line and we are all set up to go to half tied.  Does Les surprise us all and fake or will he just tie the game up? Saban ices the kicker and gives Les more time to think about being crazy. Nope, Les takes the points and we go to half tied.

8:42pm Half time in Tuscaloosa and we are tied it’s been a good half of football, not as exciting as many like but a very well played half. LSU controlled field position with the punt game and missed/blocked Alabama field goals, while Alabama had much better offensive production, but failed to score when it had opportunities. It should be an interesting second half as both staffs are very good at making adjustments and counter-adjustments. I think the biggest story will be Miles’ use of his quarterbacks and the how they use the option run in the second half.

9:04pm Second half from Tuscaloosa let’s see what these teams have for us in the second half, will LSU clean up its pass defense troubles and will Alabama find a way to convert the opportunities in this half.

9:09pm Wing shanks his first punt of the second half for 22 yards giving the Crimson Tide great field position just short of the 50 yard line we’ll see if the Tide can take advantage of this shift in the field position battle. Big set of downs coming up for LSU and I look for Saban to take a shot down field.

9:13pm The 100^th time that the broadcast crew has brought up Julio Jones so far in this game, Alabama, apparently, has no playmakers on this team.

9:15pm Was anyone else surprised to hear that Les Miles is only 2 years younger than Nick Saban? Maybe it’s because he spent time in the NFL or his stern demeanor but he seems like Saban is 5 or 10 years older than Les Miles.

9:18pm Lee throws his second interception, but I like the play call by Les but his quarterback just made a horrible decision to throw into double coverage one again. Luckily for LSU a really bad block in the back by Alabama gives this defense a little room to work with. Bama ball LSU 35.

9:21pm Great stop by the LSU defense which has clamped down on the first two drives of the second half and that sets up a 46 yard field for Foster, and he drills this one. 6-3 Alabama.

9:41pm Maurice Claiborne picks off the McCarron pass, and returns it to the Bama 15 a huge opportunity for this Tigers offense to put LSU ahead for the first time in this game. Barrett Jones just left for the locker room could be big trouble for the Tide, All-American tackles are tough to replace obviously.

9:47pm LSU can’t take advantage of the good field position but they do get points and tie the game up 6-6. The 3^rd wasn’t as well played as the first half but still a good bit of football this 4^th quarter should be a wonderful thing to watch unless you only like offensive football in which what are you doing watching this game in the first place.

10:00pm What a punt by Brad Wing, assist from Maze, but still a great punt. So far win has put punts at the 4, 5, 11 and 19 with the 19 being a 70 yard punt.

10:05pm What a cheap shot from Mathieu on that play, I mean come on there is being aggressive and being cheap and that was a cheap shot, backs LSU up inside their own ten. Good job getting out of their own end zone now Wing to pin Bama back. Drops it in at the 20 with 52 seconds let’s see what Nick Saban does here with 80 yards to go.  2 TOs Bama, 3 TOs LSU

10:21pm End of regulation, 6-6 as Bama just ran out the clock to go to OT. Surprised that Les didn’t take a TO after second down trying to force something but this should be epic first offense to move the ball 30 yards wins. This just keeps getting better and better.

10:28pm That was huge McCarron took a sack at the 35 after just missing Richardson on a wheel route, Foster from 52 and he shanks it left, LSU’s turn to score. Substitution penalty was huge there before the sack happened. LSU needs 2 runs up the gut and a FG. 12 points left on the field for Alabama.

10:31pm TOUCHDOWN, no, that was a TD but no Ford steps out on his own at the 7 yard line wow if they miss the field goal, how that would haunt the Tigers going forward.

10:35pm LSU wins!! LSU wins!! What a great game, may not have been high scoring and it may not have been what most people consider pretty but that was a very well played football game.

10:37pm I’m gonna keep this going through the end of the Oklahoma State Kansas State game K State at the 32 with 25 seconds to go. 3&10 aft an incompletion what do you do here take a shot at the end zone or work the sidelines? 1 TO remaining. Great throw great catch Klein to Harper down to the 5 yard line, 12 seconds left, 1 time out. Well defended fade with 5 seconds, great throw by Klein as well.

10:41pm Fade out of the time out great play by the defense, 1 second left eerily reminiscent of Texas Nebraska two years ago. Incomplete, Oklahoma State survives Kansas State but give a hand to the Wildcats on the road.

Been a great night of football, two great finishes, one great game and one giant quagmire.