The No. 9 LSU football team came up short in its attempt for some Tiger Stadium voodoo Saturday night in a 21-17 loss to
No. 1 Alabama, but it should be proud of its effort Saturday night.
What the rest of the season holds for the Tigers is uncertain. With two losses and three Southeastern Conference matchups ahead of them, they are probably out of the picture for a BCS game this season.
But the positives outweighed the negatives from
Saturday night.
Mettenberger comes of age
It’s just one game, but LSU junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger proved Saturday that he has the chops to lead LSU to the promised land, and he did it against the country’s best
defense.
It was the best performance in his short LSU career, but the most important part was how he turned it in. LSU went into the locker room at halftime trailing by 11 points, a lead just about everyone figured that was insurmountable after he completed just 10 of 18 passes in the first half.
Wrong. Mettenberger was masterful in the second half, completing 14 of 17 passes and leading LSU to an improbable comeback against that fearsome Crimson Tide defense.
He couldn’t muster the magic to deliver a win, but don’t fret, LSU fans. No. 8 may have come up short, but if he can maintain that level of play, the Tigers will be hard to beat in the future.
Tiger Stadium was rocking
Kudos to the LSU fans for proving that when the ingredients all come together, there is no more difficult place to play in college football.
For the majority of the game, it was impossible to have a conversation in the press box because that two-foot conversational barrier was inundated with noise.
The fans made Death Valley worthy of its lofty title. There were a record 93,374 lunatics gathered inside the concrete and steel confines of Tiger Stadium.
I chose the word “lunatics” carefully. It was you who vociferously cheered an LSU false start in the fourth quarter. It was you who mercilessly booed the Alabama student band at halftime as if it would somehow make up for the first half. And it was you that kept LSU in the game when it looked like it was down for the count.
Bravo, y’all.
Alabama is that good
While LSU was the better team for much of Saturday night’s throwdown, Alabama’s three touchdown drives were executed to perfection, and that was the difference in the game.
On those three drives, the Tide totaled 227 yards on 22 plays — a 10.3-yard average per play — and accounted for nearly 70 percent of their offensive output.
The first drive started at Alabama’s own 8-yard line. Alabama not only had its back against the wall, it was against an angry meat-grinder. The Tide turned that disadvantage into a precise 92-yard touchdown drive.
Impressive, but it was the other two drives that will have people talking. The Tide’s two-minute offense, which has been shelved as they beat up on inferior foes all season, ran at optimal efficiency.
Combined, both drives took one minute, 40 seconds off the clock, covered 135 yards, and sent LSU into the ranks with other two-loss teams.
You won’t find a Les Miles-coached LSU team that is satisfied with a loss, but the Tigers hung with and played better than an all-world football team for most of 60 minutes Saturday night. There should be some level of pride there.
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LSU sophomore wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80) works for extra yardage Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior safety Craig Loston (6) takes down Alabama running back Eddie Lacy (42) Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to the Crimson Tide in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU defensive players swarm Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones (22) Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to the Crimson Tide in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU freshman cornerback Jalen Collins (32) celebrates after the Tigers recovered a fumbled punt return Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to Alabama.
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LSU sophomore tight end Nic Jacobs (84) fights for extra yardage Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU sophomore wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80) catches a touchdown pass Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior wide receiver Kadron Boone (86) drops a pass Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior defensive end Sam Montgomery (99) sacks Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron (10) Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to the Crimson Tide in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior defensive end Sam Montgomery (99) celebrates after sacking Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron (10) Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to the Crimson Tide in Tiger Stadium.
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Students remain unmoved in the stands Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium. Almost thirty minutes after the game, students still sat in shock.
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Students remain unmoved in the stands Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium. Almost thirty minutes after the game, students still sat in shock.
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LSU head coach Les Miles and Alabama head coach Nick Saban shake hands Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU sophomore wide receiver Terrence Magee (14) reacts to the final score Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior running back Spencer Ware (11) returns to the locker room Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior running back Michael Ford (42) and sophomore wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) react to the final score Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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Alabama offensive lineman D.J. Fluker and LSU junior defensive tackle Bennie Logan shake hands Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior defensive end Sam Montgomery (99) and sophomore punter Brad Wing (38) return to the locker room Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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Students remain unmoved in the stands Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium. Almost thirty minutes after the game, students still sat in shock.
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Fans greet LSU football players Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 before the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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The Golden Band from Tigerland marches down Victory Hill Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 before the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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Members of the Painted Posse dance Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 before the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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Players return to the locker room Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 before the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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The Tigers rush the field Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 before the Tigers’ game against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU freshman running back Jeremy Hill (33) runs the ball Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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Students remain unmoved in the stands Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium. Almost thirty minutes after the game, students still sat in shock.
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LSU junior defensive end Barkevious Mingo (49) attempts to stop Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon on his game-winning drive Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU sophomore wide receiver Jarvis Landry reacts after scoring LSU’s second touchdown Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU freshman running back Jeremy Hill (33) celebrates with junior fullback J.C. Copeland after scoring a touchdown Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU sophomore wide receiver jarvis Landry (80) lunges for the goal line Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior defensive end Barkevious Mingo (49) celebrates with junior defensive end Sam Montgomery (99) after Montgomery sacked Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ game against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU junior running back Spencer Ware (11) carries the ball Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ game against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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LSU freshman safety Jerqwinick Sandolph recovers a fumble on a punt Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ game against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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Alabama tight end Kelly Johnson is upturned while running the ball Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 during the Tigers’ 21-17 loss against Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
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