LSU did what not many thought possible — until it didn’t.
It was leading the unbeatable No. 1 Alabama, 17-14, with victory seemingly in hand, and then it wasn’t.
For almost the entirety of the game, Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron struggled. But when he got the ball with 1:34 to go in the game, he showed the Tigers why they’ve been hearing Heisman whispers about this “game manager.”
A Tiger Stadium that had soared all evening was suddenly cavernous. The jubilation that was once so thorough was now contained to its crimson corner.
“I can’t really explain what it feels like,” said junior defensive end Sam Montgomery. “All I know is, I turned around and we lost.”
Many prognosticators said the Tigers (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) had to have a perfect game to have a chance against Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC), to
extend their championship hopes, and that’s exactly what they did. Until they didn’t.
“Hats off to a very good Alabama team,” Miles said. “They did the things they needed to do late in the game to win it.”
Alabama took a 14-3 lead into halftime, but the stats show a more even contest.
The Tide allowed more rushing yards than their average per game by the end of the first quarter. LSU held the ball for almost double Alabama’s time of possession. Junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger played the game everyone was waiting for, throwing for 298 yards and a touchdown on a 68.6 completion rate.
“He outplayed the other guy, and that’s exactly what he needed to do,” said senior offensive lineman Josh Dworaczyk.
When the Tide punted on their penultimate offensive drive, McCarron, despite his being responsible for their two touchdowns, had only completed 10 of his 22 attempts for less than 100 yards. Junior safety Eric Reid said his team made it a priority early on in preparation to pressure McCarron with its front seven, and that’s what they did. Until they didn’t.
He would get his chance at redemption when an LSU drive, which consumed nearly six full minutes, stalled on Alabama’s 28-yard line. Senior kicker Drew Alleman then missed a field goal that would have forced Alabama to play for the touchdown in the closing moments. It wouldn’t have mattered.
“It’s still killing me,” Dworaczyk said of the offense’s inability to finish out the game.
McCarron got his swagger back along with the ball. He found junior receiver Kevin Norwood for 18 yards. Then, he found Norwood for 15 yards. Again, Norwood, 11 yards. Of his five throws on the drive, and there were no rushes, one was incomplete.
Freshman running back T.J. Yeldon, with his first catch of the game, found the end zone on the final pass, taking a screen from McCarron and dodging Tiger tacklers for 28 yards. They, and their deflated fans, were crushed.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Reid said.
Just like that, it was all over. Three plays later, and a BCS Championship was no longer on the table. There will be no SEC title, barring an unlikely Alabama breakdown. For multiple players following the game, this hurt worse than the Jan. 9 trouncing after the way they’d played, finally scoring on this defense that had shut them out of the end zone for their prior 169 minutes and 38 seconds together.
Montgomery said he still wants to put a ring on his young teammates’ fingers. Dworaczyk said there’s a lot of season to play, pointing to previous two-loss, bowl-winning seasons. After that showing, that’s certainly feasible, and Miles knows it.
“The good news is we’ve got a good football team,” Miles said. “And the good news is, we’ll live to fight again.”