The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated LSU 10-0 to strengthen their grip on the No. 1 ranking, and move one step closer to another SEC title.
That’s not to say that Nick Saban’s squad was perfect. It wasn’t. The offense couldn’t seem to get anything going in the first half, totaling only 116 yards, while failing to score before the break for the first time since 2007. Things didn’t get much better in the third quarter, as the Tide was stopped on downs on the first series, went three-and-out on the second, and then fumbled the ball away on the third.
The Alabama offense would dominate the rest of the game after that rare miscue. Paced by the running of quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Crimson Tide would march 90 yards on 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead with 13:08 to play. After the defense intercepted Danny Etling two plays later, Alabama went 50 yards on 15 plays – milking 9:51 off the clock in the process – to take an insurmountable 10-point lead with under three minutes remaining.
Of course, the real story of this game is the Crimson Tide defense, which played like the championship units of seasons past. The Alabama D set the tone for the game on the opening series, limiting LSU to one yard on three plays, after the Bayou Bengals took over at the Tide 33 following an interception. This forced the Tigers to settle for a 49-yard field goal attempt, which Alabama blocked to end the threat.
That’s the closest that LSU would come to scoring in this contest. The Crimson Tide held the Tigers to just 125 yards of total offense and six first downs. Alabama’s front seven made plays in the LSU backfield all night long, sacking Etling 5 times, while limiting the Tiger ground game to 33 yards and 27 carries.
It’s also worth noting that the Tide D got stronger as the game went on, and completely dominated LSU in the second half. Alabama held the Tigers to just 25 yards and one first down in the final 30 minutes of the contest. On LSU’s lone first down in the second half, the Crimson Tide pass rush forced Etling to throw the ball early, which resulted in an interception.
With the victory, Alabama once again proved that it’s the team to beat in college football this season. After all, defense wins championships, and the Tide showed that it has one of the best units in the land. Sure, some experts will say, “big deal, it’s just LSU”, but it’s important to remember the Tiger offense has been much more explosive under Ed Orgeron’s leadership than it ever was under Les Miles. Under his offensive system, LSU has averaged 574.5 yards per game and 7.87 yards per play against SEC opponents. The fact that the Alabama D held that same high-octane attack to its lowest total since 2014, speaks volumes about how good it really is.
If that doesn’t sound like a defense that could lead a team to the national championship, I don’t know what does.
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