When No. 1 Alabama and No. 10 LSU battle in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, some fans might want to refer to the contest as a battle of offensive goliaths.
But the story could look more like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Both the Crimson Tide and the Tigers (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) have been potent on offense, ranking second and fourth in the SEC for total points per game, respectively.
Led by Alabama senior quarterback AJ McCarron and LSU senior passer Zach Mettenberger, the two offenses have scored more than 40 points per game heading into Saturday’s contest.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got two heavyweights coming in,” said senior wide receiver Kadron Boone. “This game is probably the most talked-about game every year because they understand the rivalry. We just have to go out there and play LSU football and make plays.”
That being said, it is a tale of two halves.
The Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 SEC) offense has scored 207 points in the first half through its first eight games, including 120 in the second quarter alone. But the production seemingly disappears for Alabama after halftime, as the Tide has accumulated only 123 total points in the second half.
The fourth quarter has been especially poor for the Tide, scoring only 54 points in 2013. This trend almost proved to be the team’s downfall in a victory against Texas A&M.
When the Aggies welcomed Alabama to College Station on Sept. 14, the Tide pounced on the home squad for 21 points in the second quarter.
In the final quarter, it was Texas A&M finding the end zone, scoring 21 of its own en route to a 49-42 loss. Alabama scored only seven points in the fourth quarter.
As for LSU, the tendency to score comes later in the ball game.
The Tigers accounted for 182 points in the first half this season, including 79 in the second quarter.
LSU seems to be more consistent, scoring a majority of its points this season in the first and fourth quarters. But it may be this fourth-quarter push that helps lift the Tigers over Alabama. So far this season, the Mettenberger-led squad has scored 97 points in the fourth quarter out of a total 180 in the second half.
Mississippi State felt the wrath of this Tiger trend.
With the Bulldogs in striking distance and trailing 31-26 on Oct. 5, LSU turned on the afterburners in the fourth quarter, scoring 28 unanswered points to eventually rout Mississippi State.
LSU junior wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said the scoring trend relates back to the program as a whole.
“It’s just part of what LSU does here,” Beckham said. “It’s part of our tradition. We will keep fighting no matter what happens, and we’re going to finish strong.”
Last season, Alabama entered Tiger Stadium with a similar offensive attack to its 2013 self. The Tide scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter, giving the visitors a 14-3 lead heading into halftime.
The Tigers, in a similar fashion to their 2013 tendencies, scored 14 points in the second half.
It was Alabama that broke the trend, though, scoring with under two minutes to seal the victory.
Junior wide receiver Jarvis Landry said he isn’t looking for a repeat result on Saturday, and it will come down to the offense playing efficiently in the fourth quarter.
“Just finish,” Landry said. “One of the things we worked on immediately after that game [last season] was our four-minute drill. We worked on being able to have the ball and get first downs, and if we didn’t put up points, then at least run the clock down to as minimum of time as possible.”