Alabama Overcomes LSU for Shot at SEC Title
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There has been an urge throughout the season, an impatience, to fast-forward so that No. 1 Florida and No. 3 Alabama can settle their business and end the suspense of which team is superior.
No. 9 Louisiana State did its best to spoil the party Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in front of 92,138 fans, but Alabama finally uncovered the offense that has been missing for a month and held on tight to its national championship hopes with a 24-15 victory.
Alabama (9-0) clinched the Southeastern Conference West with a 6-0 conference record and will play Florida, the East champion, on Dec. 5 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The two teams still have three games to play, so nothing should be taken for granted, especially on Alabama’s side.
The Tide, which escaped with a 12-10 victory over Tennessee in its last game, trailed by 15-13 in the fourth quarter when wide receiver Julio Jones turned a short pass from quarterback Greg McElroy into a 73-yard touchdown play with 10 minutes 24 seconds to play to put Alabama ahead for good.
Cincinnati and Texas Christian, the outside hopefuls lined up behind Alabama and Florida for a crack at a national championship, had the window slide open slightly with No. 8 Iowa’s loss Saturday to Northwestern, but the Tide slammed it shut, for the time being.
Alabama’s Mark Ingram, a sophomore running back and Heisman Trophy contender, rushed for 144 yards on 22 carries, and McElroy completed 19 of 34 passes for 276 yards as the Crimson Tide gained 452 total yards. It was the most offense for Alabama in five games.
It was a bitter loss for L.S.U. (7-2, 4-2), which lost quarterback Jordan Jefferson and running back Charles Scott to injury in the second half.
It was Alabama Coach Nick Saban who restored L.S.U. to national prominence earlier this decade and won a national championship with the Tigers before leaving for the Miami Dolphins. Saban returned to college football at Alabama and is reviled by many L.S.U. fans. A victory here over Saban would have made the Tigers’ followers ecstatic, but the upset was yanked away.
The teams tried to enliven their offenses with four wide receivers and empty backfields against defenses that are among the best in the country.
Alabama threw the ball on its first seven plays. The Tigers, jeered for their conservative play-calling this season, jazzed up their offense with a no-huddle look and frequent substitutions.
Alabama, which was ranked fourth nationally in total defense (240.8 yards allowed per game), handled those wrinkles for L.S.U.’s first three possessions, but the Tigers broke through with a 13-play, 91-yard drive for a touchdown.
The drive was capped by Jefferson’s 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Deangelo Peterson with 9:12 left in the second quarter.
Alabama answered with a field goal but should have had more. The Crimson Tide moved to the L.S.U. 18, only for the drive to stall. McElroy missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone, and another receiver tripped on a route over the middle. It was the 16th trip in the red zone in the last four games for the Crimson Tide, but it has scored just four touchdowns in that stretch.
Alabama had 12 first downs in the first half and had 210 yards to 156 yards for L.S.U., but the Tide could not finish drives. The Crimson Tide worked diligently on the passing game in its week off, and it showed, with McElroy completing 14 of 25 throws for 155 yards in the first half.
McElroy ruined a late march in the second quarter with an interception inside the L.S.U. 10.
Except for the interception, the first half was as sharp as Alabama has looked on offense in the last month, but the huge crowd became restless with the 7-3 halftime deficit. It was the second time this season the Crimson Tide had trailed at halftime.
The first two quarters were not a waste for Alabama. All the pieces the Tide put on the table in its offense had to unsettle L.S.U.’s defense, and Alabama came out flying in the third quarter.
The Crimson Tide, behind Ingram, bolted 81 yards in eight plays with its first possession of the third quarter to take the lead, 10-7. Ingram caught a 12-yard pass to get things started and ran four times for 42 yards in the drive, which was finished off with McElroy’s 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darius Hanks.
L.S.U. did not wilt. The Tigers downed a punt at the Alabama 1, then forced a safety to make it 10-9.
The Tigers then marched 59 yards in six plays behind the backup quarterback Jarrett Lee. Stevan Ridley, a seldom-used running back, scored from the 8 to push the Tigers back on top, 15-10, with 3:19 left in the third quarter.
Alabama, however, had found itself on offense and roared back in the fourth.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There has been an urge throughout the season, an impatience, to fast-forward so that No. 1 Florida and No. 3 Alabama can settle their business and end the suspense of which team is superior.
No. 9 Louisiana State did its best to spoil the party Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in front of 92,138 fans, but Alabama finally uncovered the offense that has been missing for a month and held on tight to its national championship hopes with a 24-15 victory.
Alabama (9-0) clinched the Southeastern Conference West with a 6-0 conference record and will play Florida, the East champion, on Dec. 5 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The two teams still have three games to play, so nothing should be taken for granted, especially on Alabama’s side.
The Tide, which escaped with a 12-10 victory over Tennessee in its last game, trailed by 15-13 in the fourth quarter when wide receiver Julio Jones turned a short pass from quarterback Greg McElroy into a 73-yard touchdown play with 10 minutes 24 seconds to play to put Alabama ahead for good.
Cincinnati and Texas Christian, the outside hopefuls lined up behind Alabama and Florida for a crack at a national championship, had the window slide open slightly with No. 8 Iowa’s loss Saturday to Northwestern, but the Tide slammed it shut, for the time being.
Alabama’s Mark Ingram, a sophomore running back and Heisman Trophy contender, rushed for 144 yards on 22 carries, and McElroy completed 19 of 34 passes for 276 yards as the Crimson Tide gained 452 total yards. It was the most offense for Alabama in five games.
It was a bitter loss for L.S.U. (7-2, 4-2), which lost quarterback Jordan Jefferson and running back Charles Scott to injury in the second half.
It was Alabama Coach Nick Saban who restored L.S.U. to national prominence earlier this decade and won a national championship with the Tigers before leaving for the Miami Dolphins. Saban returned to college football at Alabama and is reviled by many L.S.U. fans. A victory here over Saban would have made the Tigers’ followers ecstatic, but the upset was yanked away.
The teams tried to enliven their offenses with four wide receivers and empty backfields against defenses that are among the best in the country.
Alabama threw the ball on its first seven plays. The Tigers, jeered for their conservative play-calling this season, jazzed up their offense with a no-huddle look and frequent substitutions.
Alabama, which was ranked fourth nationally in total defense (240.8 yards allowed per game), handled those wrinkles for L.S.U.’s first three possessions, but the Tigers broke through with a 13-play, 91-yard drive for a touchdown.
The drive was capped by Jefferson’s 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Deangelo Peterson with 9:12 left in the second quarter.
Alabama answered with a field goal but should have had more. The Crimson Tide moved to the L.S.U. 18, only for the drive to stall. McElroy missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone, and another receiver tripped on a route over the middle. It was the 16th trip in the red zone in the last four games for the Crimson Tide, but it has scored just four touchdowns in that stretch.
Alabama had 12 first downs in the first half and had 210 yards to 156 yards for L.S.U., but the Tide could not finish drives. The Crimson Tide worked diligently on the passing game in its week off, and it showed, with McElroy completing 14 of 25 throws for 155 yards in the first half.
McElroy ruined a late march in the second quarter with an interception inside the L.S.U. 10.
Except for the interception, the first half was as sharp as Alabama has looked on offense in the last month, but the huge crowd became restless with the 7-3 halftime deficit. It was the second time this season the Crimson Tide had trailed at halftime.
The first two quarters were not a waste for Alabama. All the pieces the Tide put on the table in its offense had to unsettle L.S.U.’s defense, and Alabama came out flying in the third quarter.
The Crimson Tide, behind Ingram, bolted 81 yards in eight plays with its first possession of the third quarter to take the lead, 10-7. Ingram caught a 12-yard pass to get things started and ran four times for 42 yards in the drive, which was finished off with McElroy’s 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darius Hanks.
L.S.U. did not wilt. The Tigers downed a punt at the Alabama 1, then forced a safety to make it 10-9.
The Tigers then marched 59 yards in six plays behind the backup quarterback Jarrett Lee. Stevan Ridley, a seldom-used running back, scored from the 8 to push the Tigers back on top, 15-10, with 3:19 left in the third quarter.
Alabama, however, had found itself on offense and roared back in the fourth.
Source: New York Times
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