Alabama was down by three, with 50 seconds left in the game. LSU had just kicked a field goal to make it a 13-10 game and they had a chance to score a touchdown, but a unsportsmanlike penalty set them back 15 yards. This turned out to be huge in this game, their wasn’t many penalties, but this one hurt the Tigers.
Alabama got the ball on the 35-yard line, after LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye kicked the kickoff out of bounds. Alabama took the ball down the field on a few short passes. Blake Sims biggest play was a 22-yard pass to Christion Jones to put Bama on LSU’s 26-yard line. Sims made another big pass for 16 yards to DeAndrew White, that put the Crimson Tide on LSU 10-yard line with seven seconds left. Adam Griffith than hit the 27 yard field goal to tie up the game. Griffith had missed from the same spot in the second quarter.
That sent the game to overtime, and Alabama lined up in a weird formation on the first play. They had their left tackle Cam Robinson lineup as a receiver and Brandon Greene lined up at tight-end. As soon as the ball was snapped Robinson starting jumping up and down, like the pass was coming to him. This gave Greene just enough time to get open and set up Alabama on the one-yard line. But, Leon Brown got called for the personal foul and that pushed Alabama back to the 16-yard line.
Derrick Henry would run the ball three times, for 12 yards on the drive. Those runs and a two-yard run by Jalston Fowler, set the Crimson Tide up at the one-yard line again. Leon Brown would get called for another penalty, this time for a false start. Brown almost cost Alabama the game and these are the mistakes Alabama cannot afford. On second and goal from the six yard line, Sims hit White in the corner for a touchdown to give Bama a 20-13 lead.
LSU would throw four straight incomplete passes, that include a much debated last play. Anthony Jennings rolled out and threw it up into double-coverage, with a lot of contact made by Alabama defenders. I think the refs could’ve thrown a flag, but they had let the whole game be physical and didn’t want to change than.
This series continues to produce classics and every game the past few seasons have been memorable.
Alabama will go home and get ready to host Mississippi State next week. If Mississippi State wins they clinch the west, if Alabama wins they still have to beat Auburn to make that trip to Atlanta. The Bulldogs have yet to lose, while Alabama a much different team at home. This will be a very good game and could decide which SEC team makes the playoffs this season.
LSU will have to travel and play Arkansas next week. I expect that game to be very physical and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Arkansas win the game, with the Tigers coming off a heartbreaking loss.
