TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When attempting to take down a No. 1 opponent, a team typically has a small window of opportunity to walk away with a victory.
No. 18 LSU’s window opened up in the first quarter of its contest with No. 1 Alabama, as its defense held the Crimson Tide to 42 yards in the Tigers’ first three drives of the game, while posting 129 of its own.
But it rapidly began to close when the Tigers (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) opened the game losing back-to-back fumbles and found themselves behind 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, despite more than tripling the Tide’s (9-0, 6-0 SEC) offensive production and controlling the clock.
LSU’s first turnover may have been its most devastating, as senior fullback J.C. Copeland fumbled the ball on the Alabama 1-yard line on what looked like an easy touchdown play to end a nine-play, 81-yard drive.
“I would certainly like to be up seven, and take the ball at that point forward and drive it,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “It could have been a different start to the game.”
The LSU defense responded by forcing a three-and-out on the Alabama drive, but that celebration was short-lived, as the offense then allowed a sack and committed a delay-of-game penalty before an errant snap gave the Crimson Tide possession on the LSU 27-yard line.
Alabama settled for a field goal, giving it a 3-0 lead. That was the last success the Tiger defense had, as the Tide found the end zone on five consecutive drives.
“In a big-time game like this against the No. 1 team in the nation — a great team — you have to eliminate those turnovers,” said LSU junior wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. “We didn’t do a good job of that, and that’s probably the reason we lost.”
The Tide ran away with the game in the second half as LSU’s offense stalled, but LSU found itself with one final chance in the fourth quarter, trailing 31-17 when Beckham returned a kickoff 82 yards to the Alabama 18-yard line.
But a 3-yard loss from LSU sophomore running back Jeremy Hill and three straight incomplete passes by LSU senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger turned the ball over on downs.
And the window shut.
Alabama drove the ball 78 yards for its final score of the game and sealed its victory.
“I thought that if we could get a quick touchdown, we might be able to get back in the game,” Beckham said. “But it wasn’t the case.”
The Tigers’ mistakes cost them a chance at upsetting a No. 1 rival and, in most cases, would have the potential to haunt those who made them.
But Mettenberger remained confident, saying these mishaps distracted from what was otherwise a close, hard-fought game.
“You could look at the score and think one thing,” Mettenberger said. “But if you watched the game, you would know that if we didn’t turn the ball over and made some smarter decisions in the third and fourth quarters, it would be a ball game.”

Gallery • 43 Photos

Richard Redmann

LSU senior fullback J.C. Copeland (44) fumbles the ball Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 during the Tiger's 38-17 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL.