Bama Central

Live Updates: No. 1 Alabama Football at LSU

The undefeated Crimson Tide roll into Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers in a revenge game after suffering a 46-41 loss last season in Bryant-Denny Stadium

Joey Blackwell

Fourth Quarter

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  • Alabama begins the fourth quarter with the ball on the LSU 42-yard line. Third and six.
  • Robinson carries the ball for 11 yards, first and 10 at the LSU 30.
  • Robinson carries again, this time for nine yards.
  • Bryce Young has entered the game at quarterback, replacing Mac Jones.
  • Robinson makes it three-straight carries, three yards for another first down at the LSU 18-yard line.
  • Robinson carries to the right side to the seven for an 11-yard gain. First and goal from the 7-yard line.
  • Timeout Alabama. The Crimson Tide has one remaining.
  • False start called on Alabama's Deonte Brown. 1st and goal at the 12-yard line.
  • Young is sacked on the play for a loss of seven yards to the 16-yard line. Third down and goal to go.
  • Reichard will attempt a 34-yard field goal. Kick is up and good. Alabama 55, LSU 17 with 10:50 remaining.
  • Drive summary: 10 plays, 29 yards, 4:36.
  • Alabama squibs the kick, fair-caught at the LSU 18. Kill with be spotted at the 25. First down Tigers.
  • Johnson's pass complete to Carter for 13 yards and an LSU first down at the Alabama 41.
  • Johnson sneaks it up the middle on third down and one for a first down. Gain of three, ball on the Alabama 29.
  • Timeout LSU. The Tigers have two timeouts remaining.
  • Johnson is sacked by Jordan Battle and Will Anderson, loss of six. Third and 16 for the Tigers on the Alabama 35-yard line.
  • Boutte catches the ball, runs it to the 20. Fourth and one. Johnson rushes one yard for the first down. First and 10 on the 20.
  • Tre Bradford carries the ball five yards for a first down. First and goal for the Tigers at the Alabama five-yard line.
  • LSU is unable to score and Alabama takes over on downs. First and 10 Alabama from the LSU one-yard line. There is 4:43 remaining in the game.
  • Jase McClellan rushes for 11 yards, first and 10 Crimson Tide at its own 14-yard line.
  • McClellan breaks free for 25 yards. First and 10 Alabama at its own 39.
  • Timeout LSU. The Tigers have one timeout remaining. 2:49 remaining in the game.
  • Roydell Williams carries the ball nine yards.
  • Timeout LSU. The Tigers have now used all of their timeouts.
  • Williams carries the ball for three yards, first and 10 at the LSU 49.
  • Williams carries the ball for seven yards to the LSU 42. Second and three.
  • McClellan gains seven more yards. First and 10 Alabama.
  • The Crimson Tide line up in the victory formation. Young takes a knee. Clock runs to zero.
  • Final score: Alabama 55, LSU. 17.

Third Quarter

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  • LSU receives the ball to start the second half since the Crimson Tide elected to receive at the opening coin toss.
  • Boutte fields the kick at the 7-yard line, returns it to the LSU 32. First and 10 Tigers.
  • Finley is sacked by Josh Jobe for a loss of five. Third and 12 for LSU at its own 30.
  • Finley's pass to Jenkins is incomplete, fourth and 12 from the 30. LSU to punt. Slade Bolden calls for the fair catch at the 25-yard line. First and 10 Crimson Tide.
  • Harris carries the football for nine yards the first play, then again for three more for the Alabama first down.
  • Jones' pass is incomplete, off the hands of a diving Metchie. Alabama punts the ball, where it bounces off of an Alabama player at the LSU 27-yard line. First and 10 Tigers.
  • Finley is sacked on second and six for a loss of nine, third and 15 for the Tigers at their own 22.
  • LSU punts the ball 37 yards to the Alabama 41, out-of-bounds. First and 10 Crimson Tide.
  • Jones' pass complete to Smith for 14 yards. First down Alabama.
  • Jones' pass complete to Harris for 10 yards, first down Alabama at the LSU 23-yard line.
  • The previous play is under review, after the referees question whether Harris' catch was a completion.
  • Call overturned. Incomplete pass. Third down and six on the LSU 43.
  • Pass complete to Slade Bolden, who fumbles the ball at the 30-yard line. The fumble was recovered by LSU at the Tigers' 24 and returned to the 26. First down LSU with 8:24 remaining in the third quarter.
  • Finley rushes for two yards for a first down.
  • Finley's pass complete to Gilbert, tackled by Allen. Alabama players began pointing as if Allen had recovered the ball. The referees initially did not call anything other than a tackle, but then chose to review the play. After review, the referees change the call to a strip by Allen, the a recovery. First down Crimson Tide at the LSU 34.
  • Robinson carries the ball for six yards, first down Alabama at the LSU 21.
  • Jones' pass complete to Robinson for yards, first and 10 Crimson Tide at the LSU 11.
  • Harris carries the ball 11 yards for a touchdown. Extra point by Reichard is good. Alabama 52, LSU 14 with 3:39 remaining in the third quarter.
  • Drive summary: 6 plays, 34 yards, 3:19.
  • The 52 points scored so far tonight against LSU are the most that Alabama has ever scored against the Tigers in series history.
  • LSU field the kick for a fair catch. First and 10 at the LSU 25. The Tigers have removed Finley from the game and have replaced him with freshman Max Johnson.
  • Johnson's pass complete to Trey Palmer for 13 yards, first and 10 Tigers at their own 45.
  • Johnson's pass complete to Boutte for eight yards and a first down at the Alabama 32.
  • Fourth and 12 for the Tigers on the Alabama 34-yard line. Cade York attempts a 52-yard field goal attempt, which is good. Alabama 52, LSU 17 with 0:31 remaining in the third quarter.
  • Drive summary: 10 plays, 41 yards, 3:08.
  • Timeout Alabama before the kick. The Crimson Tide still has two timeouts remaining.
  • LSU attempts an onside kick but fails, recovered by Alabama at the Tigers' 45. First and 10 Crimson Tide.
  • End of the third quarter.

Halftime Notes

  • Mac Jones is 15-of-19 for 338 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. We repeat, in the first half. Jones currently has a quarterback rating of 297.9.
  • Wide receiver DeVonta Smith didn't mess around, either. Three of Jones' four touchdowns were caught by Smith, who has seven receptions on seven targets for 219 yards receiving yards.
  • Running back Najee Harris is leading the Crimson Tide's stable with 118 yards on 17 attempts and two touchdowns. Harris' longest rush of the game so far was 28 yards, and he is currently averaging 6.9 yards per play.
  • Just a reminder, these are stats at the half, not full-game stats.

Second Quarter

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  • On the opening play of the quarter, Finley finds Boutte for a 43-yard strike and he fumbles at the one-yard line, but it is recovered by the Tigers in the end zone. LSU now trails Alabama, 21-7. 14:53 left on the clock.
  • Drive summary: 9 plays, 95 yards, 2:33.
  • LSU kicks the ball through the end zone, touchback.
  • Jones' pass to Smith is complete for a 65-yard touchdown pass. Smith was able to burst off the line, creating separation and beating the defensive backs by about five yards. Extra point by Reichard is good. Alabama 28, LSU 7 with 13:36 remaining in the first half.
  • Drive summary: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:17.
  • Boutte fields the kick at the LSU 5, decent return to the 31-yard line. First and 10 Tigers.
  • Daniel Wright is called for targeting on a broken-up pass. LSU wide receiver Jaray Jenkins is down on the field. Targeting call is under review.
  • Targeting call is confirmed. Wright is ejected from the game. 15-yard penalty for LSU, first and 10 at its own 46-yard line.
  • John Emery rushes for a 54-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. Alabama 28, LSU 14.
  • Drive summary: 3 plays, 69 yards, 0:56 seconds.
  • Touchback on the kickoff, first and 10 Alabama at its own 25-yard line.
  • Jones' pass complete to Harris for eight yards and a first down at the Alabama 39.
  • Jones finds Smith open once again for a 61-yard touchdown. Extra point by Reichard is good. Alabama 35, LSU 14 with 11:14 remaining in the first half.
  • Drive summary: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:18.
  • Ed Orgeron was none too pleased after Smith's second touchdown reception of the game:
  • First down for LSU at the 25 following a fair catch on the kickoff.
  • Emery rushes for 20 yards. First and 10 LSU at its own 45.
  • Finley's pass to Carter for 15 yards, first down at the Alabama 40.
  • Emery tackled in the backfield by Christian Harris for a loss of four yards. Third and 14 from the Alabama 44-yard line.
  • Finley loses control of the football but recovers is. Loss of three yards on the play. Fourth and 16 for the Tigers.
  • Christian Barmore is credited with a sack on the play.
  • Tigers are forced to punt. Smith fair catch at the Crimson Tide 11.
  • Alabama's Alex Leatherwood is called for holding. Half the distance to the goal, second and 13 from the Alabama eight.
  • Jones' pass is complete to Metchie for 13 yards and a first down at the 21.
  • LSU is called for offsides for the third time in the contest. Five yard penalty, third and five from the Alabama 26.
  • Jones' pass complete to Smith for 48 yards and a Crimson Tide first down at the LSU 26.
  • Najee Harris appears shaken up. Timeout on the field.
  • Harris was hit in the groin by a helmet on the previous play. He is up and walking to the sideline.
  • Brian Robinson Jr. rushes for four yards and an Alabama first down.
  • Harris is back in the game and rushes for three yards, hurdling over the last defender. Second and seven on the LSU 12-yard line.
  • Harris carries again, but this time for no gain. Third down and seven.
  • Will Reichard attempts a 30-yard field goal and splits the uprights. Alabama 38, LSU 14 with 3:20 remaining in the first half.
  • Drive summary: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:18.
  • LSU fair catch, will start its drive at its own 25.
  • The Tigers are forced to punt after going three-and-out. The punt is not the best, landing at the Alabama 42-yard line. First and 10.
  • Harris hits the hole, then cuts it upfield for 5 yards and a first down at the LSU 34-yard line.
  • Timeout LSU. It is its third and final timeout of the first half.
  • Jones' pass complete to Metchie for a gain of 14. First and 10 at the LSU 20.
  • Jones' pass intended for tight end Miller Forristall is incomplete. The pass was too far over his head and was legitimately the first bad pass of the day for Jones.
  • Jones' pass complete to Smith, who makes a remarkable catch in the end zone for a touchdown. Extra point by Reichard is good. Alabama 45, LSU 14 with 0:46 remaining in the first half.
  • Drive summary: 6 plays, 58 yards, 1:38.
  • LSU fields the kickoff at its own 19-yard line, returns to the 23. First down Tigers.
  • LSU once again goes three-and-out and will punt on fourth down. Smith fields the punt at the LSU 30 but called a fair catch. First and 10 Alabama with three seconds remaining in the first half.
  • Jones takes a knee.
  • Halftime.

First Quarter

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  • Alabama has elected to receive the football to start the game. Kickoff coming up next.
  • LSU kicks the ball through the end zone, Alabama will start its drive on its own 25-yard line.
  • First play of the game is a pass from Mac Jones to DeVonta Smith, gain of eight yards.
  • Najee Harris gets his first carry of the game for a gain of 12 yards, first down Crimson Tide. Ball on the Alabama 45.
  • LSU commits an offsides with contact on third and three, Alabama is handed a first down on the LSU 43-yard line.
  • Jones' pass complete to wide receiver John Metchie, first and 10 at the LSU 19.
  • Harris carries the ball 14 yards for a touchdown. Extra point by Will Reichard is good. Alabama takes the lead, 7-0 with 11:56 remaining in the first quarter.
  • Drive summary: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:04.
  • Chase Allen boots the ball, fair-caught by LSU at its own 17, ball will be placed at the 25-yard line.
  • LSU quarter T.J. Finley connects with Kayshon Boutte for eight yards and an LSU first down.
  • Finley passes to Arik Gilbert for 10 and another first down at the Alabama 49-yard line.
  • In his third-consecutive pass to the left side, Finley finds Gilbert for another 15 yards.
  • Finley pass complete to Boutte for 10 yards and a first down at the Alabama 24-yard line.
  • Timeout LSU. The Tigers have one timeout remaining in the first half.
  • Fourth down LSU on the Alabama 15-yard line. Previous play is under review, a rush by Ty Davis-Price. Davis-Price appears to have passed the line to gain, but video review is forthcoming.
  • Ruling on the field stands. Fourth and inches on the Alabama 15.
  • LSU attempts a rush up the middle with Davis-Price, but the Crimson Tide plugs the gap by rushing the box. Will Anderson and Christian Harris are each credited with the tackle. First and 10 Alabama at the LSU 15-yard line.
  • Jones' pass complete to Jahleel Billingsley for 27 yards. First and 10 at the Alabama 42.
  • Harris rushes to the left for a pickup of 28 yards. After the play, a late-hit penalty is called on LSU. First and 10 Alabama at the LSU 15.
  • Jones finds Smith for a 12-yard reception. First and goal at the 3-yard line.
  • Harris is stopped at the goal line but fumbles the football into the end zone where it is recovered by the Tigers for a touchback. The previous play is under further review.
  • Call is overturned. Harris is credited with a 1-yard touchdown. Extra point by Reichard is good. Alabama 14, LSU 0 with 5:50 remaining in the first quarter.
  • Drive summary: 5 plays, 85 yards, 2:02.
  • LSU is called for running into the kicker, but penalty is declined.
  • Kick by Allen is fair-caught, LSU starts its drive at its own 25.
  • Finley is sacked on third and eight for a loss of two. Sack is credited to Will Anderson. Fourth and 10 at the Tigers' 25-yard line.
  • No return on the very short punt. The Crimson Tide takes over at the LSU 47.
  • LSU is called for its second offsides with contact penalty of the game. First and five for Alabama, which will now begin its drive at the LSU 42.
  • Jones' pass to Harris is complete but results in a five-yard loss.
  • Harris is tackled for no gain. Fourth and one from the LSU 38.
  • Jones connects with Billingsley on the right side for a 14-yard gain and a first down at the LSU 24.
  • Jones' pass to an absolutely wide-open Billingsley is good for a 24-yard touchdown. He had nobody within 15 yards of him. Extra point by Reichard is good. Alabama 21- LSU 0 with 2:27 remaining in the first quarter.
  • Drive summary: 5 plays, 47 yards, 2:12.
  • LSU muffs the kickoff. The returner had signaled for a fair catch, so the ball is placed where he initially muffed the ball, not where he returned it. First and 10 LSU at its own 5-yard line.
  • Finley's pass to Koy Moore for four yards and an LSU first down on its own 18-yard line.
  • Finley's pass to Boutte for a gain of eight. Alabama is also called for roughing the passer, so an additional 15 yards is added. First and 10 Tigers at its own 42.
  • Finley on the quarterback keeper gains five for a first down.
  • End of the first quarter.

Warmups

  • The Crimson Tide's quarterbacks including Mac Jones have come out onto the field along with the place kickers and long snappers.
  • Wide receivers, centers and punters have now joined the team. Out of all the personnel that have arrived on the field, none appear missing so far.
  • Officials for tonight's game: Alex Moore, referee; Tom Quick, umpire; Gary Jayroe, linesman; Chad Lorance, line judge; Tom Fimmen, back judge; P. Davenport, field judge; Sean Petty, side judge; Ron Turner, center judge.
  • The rest of the Crimson Tide has joined the players on the field. Full-fledged stretches and warmups are underway.
  • Tonight's captains: quarterback Mac Jones, linebacker Dylan Moses and defensive back Patrick Surtain II.
  • Alabama has now left the field until the start of the game, with the Crimson Tide faithful in attendance cheering them off. There is a decent showing of Alabama fans in the stadium despite the low capacity allowed to enter Tiger Stadium tonight.

Pregame

  • Ahead of Saturday night's game it was revealed that Alabama football will be without four assistant coaches due to COVID-19. CBS reported at kickoff that cornerbacks coach Karl Scott, outside linebackers coach Sal Sunseri, wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins and defensive line coach Freddie Roach are all absent from the game. Both offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Pete Golding have been confirmed to be fine and will be on tonight's sideline. However, the Crimson Tide has activated former head coaches Charlie Strong and Mike Stoops, both who currently serve as analysts for Alabama under head coach Nick Saban.
  • Saban spoke with CBS' Jamie Erdahl prior to the game, saying “[LSU] beat us last year, so they probably has some confidence that they can play well against Alabama. We’re going to have to change the way they think when it comes to that.”
  • The Alabama equipment managers have the Crimson Tide's uniforms and pads all ready to go in the visiting team's locker room:
  • The power at the Crimson Tide's hotel went out approximately two hours before the team was scheduled to depart for Tiger Stadium. All electricity, air conditioning and wifi was useless for the final hours until the team departed for the stadium:
  • Jaylen Waddle believes that Saturday's game between Alabama and LSU needs more coverage:
  • Alabama football has officially arrived at Tiger Stadium:

Game Preview

Let's try this again ...

For the first time since Nick Saban arrived in 2007, the following statistic will come into play when Alabama faces LSU:

The Crimson Tide has defeated 96 consecutive unranked teams, the longest streak in FBS history.

Every time the teams have played during that span, both have been ranked until now. Coming off a loss at Texas A&M, the reigning national champions are 3-4.

Meanwhile, Alabama is 8-0 and eyeing its return to the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff. It obviously can't afford to stumble, and LSU is always a tough, benchmark game.

Seven of the 13 "Saban Bowls," as some like to call it as he won a national title at LSU previous to his five with Alabama, have been decided by a touchdown or less, with three going into overtime.

Among them:

  • Alabama snapped a five-game series skid with the 27-21 overtime win in Baton Rouge in 2008.
  • In 2011, the Tide fell to the Tigers 9-6 in overtime in the regular-season contest before meeting for the BCS National Championship, where Alabama came out on top in New Orleans, 21-0.
  • Alabama produced one of the more memorable victories with a come-from-behind 21-17 victory at Tiger Stadium in 2012, as AJ McCarron found T.J. Yeldon on a screen pass for a 28-yard touchdown with 51 seconds remaining.
  • In 2014, a stunning last-minute drive in the fourth quarter by Blake Sims produced a game-tying field goal to send the 2014 matchup into overtime. Sims found DeAndrew White in the corner of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
  • During the 2016 matchup, Jalen Hurts engineered two fourth-quarter scoring drives to break open a scoreless tie as No. 1-ranked Alabama downed the Tigers 10-0 at Tiger Stadium.
  • The last time the teams played in Baton Rouge, in 2018, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide shutout the Tigers 29-0.
  • Alabama hasn't lost in "Death Valley" in 10 years.

Where: Tiger Stadium

When 7 p.m. CT, Saturday

TV: CBS (Play-By-Play: Brad Nessler, Analyst: Gary Danielson, Sideline: Jamie Erdahl).

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Eli Gold, Analyst: John Parker Wilson, Sideline: Rashad Johnson, Host: Chris Stewart) CTSN on Sirius/XM: 84/84. ESPN Radio (Play-By-Play: Sean Kelley, Analyst: Barrett Jones)

Online: CBSSports.com

Weather forecast: No rain is in the forecast, which is for clear skies. The temperature should be right around 45 degrees at kickoff, with winds up to 9 mph.

Last meeting: Joe Burrow established himself as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy by passing for 393 yards and three touchdowns as LSU snapped an eight-game losing streak to Alabama, 46-41. Not only did the win help propel LSU to the national championship, but Ed Orgeron told his players during the on-game celebration: “This is our house from now on.” An Instagram Live video from the locker room including him closing his postgame speech wi "Roll Tide, what? F--k you"

Series info: Alabama and LSU will meet for the 85th time on Saturday. The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 53-26-5. Saban is 10-5 in his career against LSU, including a 10-4 mark at Alabama. Orgeron is 1-6 all-time against the Crimson Tide, including an 1-3 mark with the Tigers.

Published
Joey Blackwell
JOEY BLACKWELL

Joey Blackwell is an award-winning journalist and assistant editor for BamaCentral and has covered the Crimson Tide since 2018. He primarily covers Alabama football, men's basketball and baseball, but also covers a wide variety of other sports. Joey earned his bachelor's degree in History from Birmingham-Southern College in 2014 before graduating summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in 2020 with a degree in News Media. He has also been featured in a variety of college football magazines, including Lindy's Sports and BamaTime.

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