Alabama’s Hurts is a pain for LSU
Freshman quarterback breaks a scoreless tie with TD run as No. 1 Tide stays unbeaten.
BATON ROUGE, La. — Jalen Hurts broke loose for a 21-yard touchdown run to break a scoreless tie early in the fourth quarter, and No. 1 Alabama’s defense thoroughly stif led Leonard Fournette and Louisiana State in a 10-0 victory over the 15thranked Tigers on Saturday night.
The No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) won for the sixth straight time against No. 13 LSU (5-3, 3-2), and remained alone in first place in the SEC West.
Hurts, a freshman who has exceeded expectations by establishing himself as one of the most dynamic, explosive players in college football, was the game’s leading rusher with 114 yards on 20 carries. He also completed 10 of 19 passes for 107 yards.
LSU had had its share of big plays — but all on defense, forcing Hurts into an early interception and late fumble.
But LSU’s offense could not capitalize against menacing defensive end Jonathan Allen and the rest of Alabama’s suffocating defense.
The Tigers finished with just 125 total yards. Fournette, whose 2015 Heisman Trophy hopes faded when he was held to 31 yards on 19 carries in Tuscaloosa last year, had 35 yards on 17 carries.
One game after touchdown runs of 78, 76 and 59 yards against Mississippi, Fournette’s longest run against the Crimson Tide was nine yards.
LSU’s Danny Etling completed 11 of 24 passes for 92 yards and also was intercepted once in the fourth quarter, leading to a late Alabama field goal. Alabama had five sacks, one more than LSU’s offense had allowed in any other game this season.