In 2007, LSU fans had mixed feelings towards their team’s former head coach.
Nick Saban had not only brought the Tigers a title just a few years back but had also built this team to a point where it could compete for a championship year in and year out. I’m sure fans were grateful for all Saban had done for the program, but recency trumps all in college football, and he had made a recent decision that didn’t sit well with his former fans.
After leaving LSU for the NFL following the 2004-05 season, Saban quickly learned how difficult of a transition that was and opted to return to college football with just two unsuccessful pro seasons under his belt. The Tigers had already effectively filled the hole he left behind, so he looked elsewhere, eventually landing within the same division as his former team at Alabama.
Alabama was already one of the most historically decorated programs in the nation, having 12 claimed national titles before Saban even arrived. But following former Head Coach Gene Stallings’ retirement at the end of the 1996 season, it had become a shell of its former self, attributing four losing seasons between 1997 and 2007 after previously having one in the 40 years prior to his departure.
Although the LSU head coaching job wasn’t available, fans still felt betrayed by Saban due to his team choice. Of all the places he could have ended up, why would he choose to join one of their division rivals?
Still, what’s done was done, and LSU fans could only look forward to their upcoming matchup with Saban in November while trying not to think about what he could accomplish with the legendary program. Though nothing was set in stone, he was already forecasting what was to come heading into his first matchup with his former team.
Each team entered the matchup coming off a bye week with varying levels of momentum.
The Crimson Tide had just cracked the top-25 for the second time that season after stomping No. 20 Tennessee 41-17 to move up to 6-2. Meanwhile, LSU entered the matchup as the No. 3 team in the country but had been challenged in its previous two games, even dropping one in triple overtime to Kentucky to lose its spot at No. 1.
In his first season with the program, Saban had Alabama strongly in control of its own destiny in the race to make the SEC title game and it would be in the driver’s seat with a win over LSU. It even went into this game with homefield advantage.
It’s interesting how history repeats itself.
Despite coming into the game with arguably more momentum than their opponents, the Tide struggled out of the gate. After taking an initial lead with an early field goal, Alabama allowed three straight scoring drives to go down 17-3. One of those saw LSU start on Alabama’s 12-yard line after a costly interception thrown by Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson.
But while the Tigers were the ones to dominate the first quarter, the Tide would be the ones to dominate the second. After a quick three-play touchdown drive to decrease the Tiger lead to seven, the Tide would intercept Matt Flynn on three straight LSU possessions, with the Tuscaloosa crowd growing louder with each one.
Alabama would go on to score 10 points off those turnovers, taking a 20-17 lead with 46 seconds left in the half and blocking a last-second field goal to maintain it heading into the break.
After three straight three-and-outs to start to second half and another touchdown pass from Wilson, the No. 3 team in the country was in trouble. Was it really about to lose to its former head coach in his first season with his new team?
A loss here would have dealt a huge blow to what seemed like a promising run and future under then-Head Coach Les Miles. It would also add insult to injury to those who were upset with Saban’s departure from LSU. Imagine having one of best coaches in your program’s history leave the team, only to take over a rival and crush your title hopes just a few seasons later.
But the Tigers were not going to go down without a fight, especially after all they had overcome heading into the game. Six fourth down conversions earlier in the season to survive No. 9 Florida and a last second touchdown against Auburn to keep from dropping two straight were not going to be in vain.
LSU would respond to Alabama taking a two-score lead quickly, as Flynn connected with wide receiver Demetrius Byrd down the sideline for a 61-yard touchdown to narrow the gap. It would tie the game on the next drive with a long Colt David field goal before surrendering control of the game again, this time on special teams.
Javier Arenas, one of the best punt returners in SEC history, returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown, giving the Tide a seven-point lead with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game. Five minutes of game time later, and they were in position to ice the game.
After an incompletion intended for wide receiver Brandon LaFell, Matt Flynn and the LSU offense were faced with a critical fourth-and-four in Alabama territory. With the game on the line, Flynn confidently stepped up in the pocket and let loose, likely causing the hearts of LSU fans everywhere to skip a beat.
Not only did his intended receiver, Early Doucet, catch the ball on a slant with enough yards to pick up the first, he also slipped a tackle before putting an amazing move on two Alabama defensive backs and waltzing in for a critical 32-yard score.
The kicker would come just a few plays later.
Despite struggling to complete passes throughout most of the game, John Parker Wilson had managed to take care of the ball well up to this point, only surrendering the one interception mentioned earlier. Well, that was about to change, at a point in the game where the Tide couldn’t afford it.
After getting shut down on first down and sacked on second, Wilson faced a third-and-long deep in Alabama territory. LSU brought safety Chad Jones on a blitz, who shot straight through an open gap to get to the quarterback. As he swung him down, Wilson failed to properly tuck the ball and fumbled it. Just like that, the game was over, as the Tigers received the ball on the Alabama two-yard line and punched it in just two plays later with Jacob Hester.
One Alabama turnover on downs later, and the game was over. LSU maintained its aspirations for a championship and the Tide fell to 6-3 despite a valiant effort. Though LSU fans were likely relieved to have taken this one, I’m sure they were also concerned with what Saban was building over in Tuscaloosa, as that game was way too close for comfort.
The Tigers would go on to win the national championship just a few months later while Alabama won just one game after its loss to LSU. However, the Crimson Tide would earn their first championship with Saban just two seasons later before adding five more between 2010 and now.
Saban’s first matchup with his former team was incredibly exciting, albeit frustrating and stressful for LSU fans everywhere. It will be interesting to see what Brian Kelly can manage in his first matchup against Alabama as the head coach of the LSU Tigers.
