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LSU, Alabama shootout ends as Tide pull away late

On3 imageby:Shea Dixon•11/04/23•

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jayden-daniels
© Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

The LSU football team’s hopes of repeating as SEC West Champions are over following a loss in Tuscaloosa.

After a 21-21 tie at halftime, LSU opened the second half with a touchdown to take the 28-21 lead.

From there, Alabama made stops on defense and answered with three touchdowns to get the 42-28 win over the Tigers on a night when Jayden Daniels exited with a concussion in the fourth quarter.

Here’s the recap of how the game unfolded.

FIRST QUARTER

(LSU wins the toss and defers to second half)

Alabama took the ball first, but the LSU defense – down a pair of starters in addition to the season’s struggles – forced a punt thanks to a Harold Perkins sack on third down.

The Tigers came out running the football, with quarterback Jayden Daniels and running backs Logan Diggs and Josh Williams all contributing to get LSU’s offense across midfield.

From there, Daniels and wide receiver Malik Nabers do what they’ve done all season.

On an 85-yard drive, Daniels found a wide open Nabers for the 46-yard touchdown pass, giving the Tigers the lead within the first six minutes of the game.

LSU 7, Alabama 0 – 9:46 remaining in first quarter

After punting the ball away on the team’s first drive, Alabama answered on the second drive thanks to some big plays from quarterback Jalen Milroe.

First Milroe escaped a near sack and ran 11 yards for a first down in LSU territory. After hitting wide receiver Kobe Prentice for a 22-yard gain, Milroe held on to a read-option and went untouched 23 yards for the touchdown to tie the game midway through the first quarter.

LSU 7, Alabama 7 – 7:14 remaining in first quarter

LSU was able to get the ball across midfield before facing a 4th-and-1, and Brian Kelly chose to go for it from the Alabama 42-yard line.

The Tigers went with a quick throw to the right for Brian Thomas Jr., but defensive back Malachi Moore got his body in front of the throw to break up the pass and force the turnover on downs.

Alabama took the ball at midfield, and quickly crossed back into LSU territory with less than four minutes left in the first quarter.

The end result: a sneak by Milroe that turned into a touchdown from four yards out – the Alabama quarterback’s second rushing touchdown of the game.

Alabama 14, LSU 7 – 0:25 remaining in first quarter

The Tigers ran the ball out to end the first quarter, setting up a 2nd-and-5 after the kickoff to begin the second quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

LSU’s drive got into Alabama territory, but the Tigers ultimately got behind the chains and Daniels was sacked on a third down play that led to a field goal attempt.

Damian Ramos, who entered the game 11-for-13 on field goals this season, missed wide right after having the distance from 46-yards out. Alabama took the ball back with a 14-7 lead from the 29-yard line with a little more than 11 minutes remaining in the first half.

Alabama followed suit, driving into LSU territory before Will Reichard – one of college football’s best kickers – missed from 47 yards out to keep it a one-score game.

LSU took over with more than six minutes until halftime, and some big plays from Daniels to Brian Thomas Jr. resulted in 31 yards. After an offsides call on Alabama, LSU was set up with 1st-and-5 from the Alabama 24-yard line.

On third down, Daniels hit Nabers for 10 yards and a first down. The next play, the Tigers went with an empty set and Daniels carried it nine yards for the touchdown to tie the game.

LSU 14, Alabama 14 – 3:09 remaining in second quarter

The Alabama offense answered by driving into LSU territory, with a big play coming on 3rd-and-2 when Milroe hit running back Jamarion Miller for a 35-yard gain.

The Tigers pushed Alabama into a 3rd-and-11 from there, but Milroe escaped the pocket and took off for 11 yards and the first down.

On first down from the 22-yard line, Milroe missed a wide open receiver that would have been a walk-in touchdown. After a short run by Milroe for a yard, Alabama’s 3rd-and-9 resulted in another Milroe run – and his third touchdown of the night. This time, Milroe scored from 21 yards out to give Alabama the lead with a minute until halftime.

Alabama 21, LSU 14 – 1:01 remaining in second quarter

With one minute left, Daniels came up with another huge play when he escaped a sack and took off for a 40-yard run on third down. A third down stop would have given Alabama the ball back with all three timeouts, which made the run by Daniels all the more valuable.

LSU got hit with a first down penalty that backed the ball up to the Alabama 39-yard line with 24 seconds remaining. Once again, Daniels took off running for a first down. A personal flag foul came after the run following a blindside block called on Aaron Anderson, which backed LSU up outside the 20 yard line, but still facing a 1st-and-1 because off the yardage picked up on the run.

With no timeouts, Daniels came up with a huge throw to Kyren Lacy, who hauled in the catch, then shook off an Alabama defender and outran two more to score with five seconds left before halftime.

When LSU needed it most, Daniels executed a big drive with his legs and arm to tie the game up.

LSU 21, Alabama 21 – 0:05 remaining in second quarter

Alabama ran the ball on first down, then elected to throw on second down to end the half, which Milroe ran out of bounds following a holding call that wrapped up the second quarter.

HALFTIME: LSU 21, Alabama 21

THIRD QUARTER

LSU got the ball first, and after facing a quick third down, Daniels hit Nabers for a 17-yard gain that moved the chains.

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Daniels rushed for 11 yards for another first down, then the big play came when Daniels went deep to Nabers. Nabers hauled in the catch, got a foot inbounds and picked up 30 yards for LSU’s offense.

After a pair of runs set up a first down from the two-yard line, running back Josh Williams got stuffed at the line, then bounced it outside for the walk-in touchdown to put LSU ahead to start the second half.

LSU 28, Alabama 21 – 11:14 remaining in third quarter

And the scoring continued…

Once again, Milroe picked up a crucial third down with his legs. That set the Tide up with a first down at the LSU 33-yard line. Three straight carries from running back Roydell Williams got Alabama back into the end zone to tie the game midway through the third quarter.

LSU 28, Alabama 28 – 7:30 remaining in third quarter

With three consecutive touchdown drives for LSU, the Tigers got the ball back with seven minutes left in the third quarter and immediately picked up nine yards on a run by Daniels. LSU running back Logan Diggs was ruled short of the sticks on second down, but he picked up the 3rd-and-1 to continue the drive.

LSU was hit with a holding call that backed the Tigers up to 2nd-and-17, and tight end Mason Taylor dropped a wide open pass that would have set up 3rd-and-short for LSU. Daniels went short of the sticks to Taylor on third down, which resulted in LSU’s first punt of the game with four minutes left in the third quarter.

From there, it was the same tune for Alabama’s offense.

Milroe took over, hitting on a pair of first down passes before rushing for his fourth touchdown of the game from 11 yards out.

With LSU’s concerns at defensive back, it was Milroe and the Alabama run game that turned in the first five touchdowns for the Tide.

Alabama 35, LSU 28 – 1:01 remaining in third quarter

Josh Williams opened the drive with a 7-yard run, but another penalty on LSU center Charles Turner pushed LSU back to end the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

With LSU looking to drive to tie the game, the Tigers turned the ball over for the first time on the night on a pass by Daniels that was tipped, then intercepted after it hung in the air.

Alabama ran into a 3rd-and-4, and LSU dialed up Harold Perkins on the blitz. He stopped Milroe for a four-yard loss, but Perkins was hit with a horse collar that gave the Tide a fresh set of downs. One play later, Jace McClellan rushed it in from 10 yards out to give Alabama a 14-point lead – the largest of the game.

Alabama 42, LSU 28 – 13:01 remaining in fourth quarter

The drive began with a personal foul on Alabama’s Dallas Turner following a helmet-to-helmet hit on a play when he also drive Daniels into the ground, though the play was not reviewed for targeting.

Garrett Nussmeier came in for one play and hit Brian Thomas on a five-yard pass, then Daniels turned to the game on second down.

LSU countered with a false start that backed the Tigers up to 2nd-and-10, then Nussmeier returned to the field at quarterback on a play that resulted in a drop on a dump off to running back Logan Diggs

On 3rd-and-10, Alabama took a timeout as Daniels remained in the injury tent being evaluated following the hit to the head from Turner. He was then ruled out for the remainder of the game as he entered concussion protocol.

Alabama, nursing a 14-point lead and facing LSU’s backup quarterback, went to the ground and drained the clock on a drive that took more than 7 minutes off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter. Alabama eventually settled for a field goal attempt, but Reichard – one of the nation’s best – missed another kick to keep the score at 42-28 with 4:30 remaining in the game and just one timeout for the Tigers.

Nussmeier hit on some passes to get LSU into Alabama territory, but a fourth down pass that was dropped by Nabers ended the drive and gave the Tide the victory.

From there, Alabama kneeled out the clock after picking up a first down.

FINAL: Alabama 42, LSU 28

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