To see a video of the LSU vs. Alabama game, click here.
Sixty minutes of football was not enough to decide the outcome of Nick Saban’s return to Tiger Stadium.No. 1 Alabama eventually clawed its way out of Tiger Stadium with another win to improve to 10-0, clinch the Southeastern Conference Western Division and hang on to the top spot in the Associated Press Poll, the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and the BCS Standings.Then-No. 16 LSU dropped to 6-3 on the season — 3-3 in SEC play — and to No. 20 in the BCS Standings.The Tigers nearly pulled out a dramatic come-from-behind win against their former coach and the nation’s top team.But Alabama struck last on a 1-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback John Parker Wilson to secure a 27-21 overtime win.”It was a great college football game,” Saban said. “The players on both sides played their hearts out . . . Our players played hard in the game with a lot of tenacity and overcame a lot of adversity.”That play was set up by senior defensive back Rashad Johnson’s interception of LSU freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee’s third-and-6 pass in LSU’s overtime drive.Lee once again struggled on a national stage and was 13 of 34 with 181 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions.Miles reaffirmed Sunday that Lee will remain the starter, but he said true freshman Jordan Jefferson can expect to see “more playing time.””I think we have to prepare him to play,” he said Sunday. “I think it would have been imminently hard for him to come into the last game. It’s fair to him to let him see some more playing time.”Miles said Saturday that Lee’s intentions were correct on his overtime interception despite the freshman quarterback’s struggles.”It’s a throw that he does not need to make,” Miles said. “But his view was, ‘If I hit this one, we win.’ Boy what a great view.”Miles said he has no doubt Lee can rebound from his growing pains with more seasoning.”I just need to coach him some more, love him, support him and make him better,” Miles said.Lee said he hopes to put his mistakes behind him to take momentum into next season.”You’re going to make mistakes,” he said. “That’s part of it. You have to stay positive and don’t linger over your mistakes.”LSU sent the game to overtime on the final play of regulation when Alabama seemed to have the game in its grasp.But LSU junior defensive lineman Rickey Jean-Francois blocked Alabama junior kicker Leigh Tiffin’s 29-yard field goal attempt, sending the game to overtime.”I thought [at that point] we were going to win the football game,” said LSU senior linebacker Darry Beckwith. “That game was ours.”Both teams appeared to have nervous energy as they exchanged turnovers to open the game.Wilson completed a pass to sophomore receiver Earl Alexander who fumbled out the end zone as he stretched out the football from the 1-yard-line, giving LSU the ball at their own 20.But three plays later Lee’s pass intended for Demetrius Byrd bounced into Johnson’s hands and set up an eventual 1-yard touchdown run by Wilson.Johnson had three interceptions in the game and tied an Alabama school record.”My mindset before the game was just to focus on the things we prepared for all week and to make sure I was set up for different motions and looks they would give us,” Johnson said.Byrd got redemption on LSU’s following drive as he and Lee connected for a 31-yard touchdown strike to even the score at 7.Alabama return man Javier Arenas fumbled the following kickoff, giving LSU the football at the Alabama 31-yard line.The teams combined for seven turnovers, and Saban said he was not pleased with his team’s play.”I congratulated our players after the game, but I also asked them if they thought they played their best game,” Saban said. “Do you think we played better than we did before? Do you think we made improvements as a team? . . . I didn’t think we had the same kind of intensity we had been playing with and were a little flat.”LSU junior halfback Charles Scott punched the ball in two plays later on a 30-yard touchdown run to give LSU a 14-7 lead heading to the second quarter.Alabama had outscored its opponents every game in the first quarter before Saturday.Both teams traded punts for the majority of the second quarter before Lee threw his second interception of the day to Johnson that went 53 yards for a touchdown.Lee has now thrown six interceptions that have been returned for touchdowns this season.But LSU was able to stay afloat on the ground, outrushing the Crimson Tide, 154-52, for the half and 201-138 for the game.Miles said his defense’s energy was the bright spot of the game.”That defense, wow, that’s the defense I came to appreciate,” Miles said.The second half began where the second quarter picked up with the teams exchanging punts on the first three drives of the half.But Alabama broke through in their second drive of the half and marched 69 yards on seven plays to take a 21-14 lead.Lee’s woes continued throughout the third quarter as he was intercepted for the third time by sophomore linebacker Rolando McClain.After a Tigers hold, LSU’s next possession stalled on a third-and-8 when Lee had a streaking Chris Mitchell wide open for what would have been a sure touchdown, but the pass sailed off Mitchell’s finger tips and forced another LSU punt.Lee warmed up to start the fourth quarter and hit four-of-five passes on LSU’s first drive of the final quarter to complete a 14-play drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Scott to tie the game with just more than six minutes to play.But he was not able to make the biggest plays in overtime, something that will leave a sour taste in the LSU players’ mouths.”People are saying we played well,” Beckwith said. “But it’s hard to think you played well when you lost.”—-Contact Casey gisclair at [email protected]