The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tigers' 26 seconds help turn back tide
Burrow stars as LSU ends skid against Bama, paves path to SEC final.
The SEC West’s path to Atlanta might’ve been decided in 26 seconds. In this season’s “Game of the Century,” No. 2 LSU held off No. 3 Alabama 46-41, putting on an offensive clinic that stunned the Tuscaloosa audience Saturday. The Tigers snapped an eightgame losing streak to the Crimson Tide, doing so in the most unimaginable fashion.
Many felt LSU could (or would) win. The manner in which they achieved it was surprising. They went into Bryant-Denny Stadium and looked more explosive, more physical and better-coached than
Alabama. They took a 20-point lead at halftime and held off the Crimson Tide’s furious rally.
The Tigers’ quarterback — a position that is often LSU’s Achilles heel — asserted himself as the clear Heisman Trophy front-runner. Joe Burrow completed 18 of 20 pass attempts for 252 yards and three scores in the first half. He added 55 yards on the ground.
For the game, Burrow was 31-of39 passing for 393 yards and the three touchdowns.
And when Alabama closed the gap to six points in the fourth quarter, Burrow put together his potential Heisman-winning drive. He stood strong in the pocket, absorbing hits and delivering completions. He even had a 15-yard dash on a third-and-5, setting up Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s touchdown on the next play.
It was their first score of the second half after almost squandering a 20-point halftime lead. The Crimson Tide marched down the field to score again, cutting the deficit to 39-34, and Burrow again responded promptly with a bigtime drive. His 18-yard run on third down kept it going. Edwards-Helaire iced it with a score.
Alabama simply didn’t have enough time — and couldn’t get the one stop it needed — to overcome a horrific first half highlighted by a slew of errors that helped the Tigers to a 33-13 lead.
The floodgates hadn’t opened until just before intermission. LSU’s eye-popping advantage was helped by two touchdowns in a 26-second span. A six-point game had inflated into a blowout in a matter of a few plays. Ultimately, that spurt of time was the difference in a shootout.
For Alabama, the final minute of the first half was a blur. For LSU, it was a release of the past eight years’ disappointment and angst. The Tigers held a 19-13 lead and were driving before the most controversial play of the game worked in their favor, setting off a sequence that put the game out of reach.
Burrow found tight end Thaddeus Moss on a 16-yard completion that put LSU at Alabama’s 1-yard line. Moss stepped out of bounds but re-established himself before snagging the ball. On review, it appeared cornerback Trevon Diggs touched the ball before Moss reeled it in, allowing the catch to stand.
The Tigers scored with 26 seconds remaining, going up 26-13. Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted by Patrick Queen on the Crimson Tide’s ensuing first play from scrimmage. A post-play personal foul put LSU at the 13 with 11 seconds left.
LSU only needed one more play: Burrow hit Edwards-Helaire in the end zone. A 19-13 game had suddenly become 33-13 at the break.
The home crowd was silent, still trying to process the last 26 seconds of game time. It’ll be 26 seconds often revisited when telling the distinguished story of these southern bluebloods’ rivalry. It was a sequence that extinguished eight years of misery; a chain of events that one rarely, if ever, has seen victimize coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.
In the immediate future, those 26 seconds propelled LSU to a probable No. 1 ranking and put Alabama on the outside looking in. In the not-so-far-away future, perhaps those moments cemented Burrow’s Heisman bid and LSU’s first playoff berth.
Burrow outshined Tagovailoa in every way Saturday, surpassing him in the SEC standings, Heisman race and, depending on who you ask, possibly the eyes of NFL scouts.
The first quarter was marked by Alabama mistakes. Tagovailoa’s non-contact fumble inside the 10 spoiled the Crimson Tide’s first drive. LSU put on an clinic afterward, with Burrow finding Jamarr Chase on a 33-yard score. Chase eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the first half.
Alabama was stopped on its next drive. Punter Ty Perine dropped the snap and couldn’t get his kick off, awarding LSU prime field position. Diggs intercepted Burrow, potentially negating the botched punt, but Alabama was penalized for having 12 men on the field. LSU added a field goal to make the score 10-0.
The Crimson Tide finally broke through when Jaylen Waddle, arguably the best returner in the country, took a kick back 77 yards for the team’s first score. LSU answered with another surgical drive, capped off with Burrow’s touchdown to Terrace Marshall. (Cade York’s extra-point attempt was blocked).
Tagovailoa found DeVonta Smith open down the sideline — he blew past star freshman cornerback Derek Stingley — for a 64-yard score. Joseph Bulovas missed the extra point, making it a 16-13 score.
Alabama pushed in the third quarter, keeping Burrow quiet and assembling their own electric drive. Tagovailoa hit running back Najee Harris for a 15-yard touchdown for the only score of the quarter. Alabama’s next drive, which trickled into the fourth, was capped with Harris’ touchdown that pulled the Crimson Tide within six. Burrow answered with the Tigers’ biggest drive of the season. His defense allowed another score, so he came back with another scoring drive.
LSU has the inside track to playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, likely against Georgia, in the SEC Championship game Dec. 7. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, need LSU to slip up twice while they win out. They no longer control their path to the playoff, though they made the final four — and won the championship — under the same circumstances two seasons ago.