TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In a game that will be remembered for years to come, LSU fell just short Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium in a 20-14 loss to No. 2 Alabama.

LSU came into the matchup as 28.5 point underdogs, but all that seemed to do was give the Tigers extra motivation and fight.

“I’m proud of the way our team fought,” said LSU senior linebacker Damone Clark. “A lot of people counted us out, but we just needed to have that underdog mentality.”

In the long run, this game is going to mean very little for this LSU team and the program in general. However, there was a lot that can be taken from the gutsy performance that LSU put on display despite the loss.

Down almost a dozen starters, LSU pushed the No. 2 team to its limits and truly looked like how an LSU team is expected to look. The Tigers finally showed that there is a level of both talent and heart in this program, and that they’re capable of anything under the right guidance. Ed Orgeron knew he had nothing to lose, and it brought out the best in his team. Whoever the next coach is certainly has plenty to work with, and if nothing else, that has to make LSU fans feel good about the future of the program.

LSU came out of the gate unfazed by the magnitude of the matchup and atmosphere, stopping Alabama and then scoring on its first offensive drive. The touchdown was set up by a fake punt earlier in the drive, where Avery Atkins hit Jack Mashburn on a jump-pass, gaining 26 yards and putting the Tigers deep in Alabama territory. 

“Those guys were not intimated,” Orgeron said. “We came in wanting to win the game.”

Orgeron entered this game with nothing to lose, and the decisions and team attitude showed that. From the fake punt, to going for it on fourth and goal from the eight-yard line in the fourth quarter, Orgeron was committed to being aggressive throughout. In a game against a team as good as Alabama in a tough atmosphere, this was the only way LSU would have a chance in this game, and the strategy was just a few plays away from working. Orgeron addressed the fourth down decision in his post-game press conference, echoing the idea of being aggressive.

“We were going for it,” Orgeron said. “We walked into the stadium going for it. We were going for the win. No question.”

The key to LSU staying in the game was the consistent play on the defensive side of the ball. LSU held Alabama to just 20 points and an abysmal 49 sack-adjusted rushing yards. Clark and Neil Farrell Jr. both played outstanding games for LSU, and played a huge part in keeping the Crimson Tide from running the ball. Clark led LSU with eight total tackles and also added two tackles for loss. Farrell finished with seven total tackles and two and a half tackles for loss including a huge sack late in the game. Fixing the defense and becoming less predictable was a huge emphasis for LSU during the bye week, and Clark believes the improvements were on display Saturday night.

“That was the purpose of the bye week, to do things a little bit different,” Clark.

The offense, however, was unable to convert the opportunities the defense created to win LSU the game. LSU’s inconsistencies continued on the offensive side of the ball, and that kept the Tigers from pulling off the upset.

“We were in a position to win the football game, but we stalled,” Orgeron said. 

A costly interception at the end of the first half and the failure to convert on fourth and goal were key moments where the offense was unable to get the job done and cost LSU big time.

Despite the result, this game undoubtedly showed that no one in the program has given up, and that there is still life left in the team, despite everything that has happened during the season.

Even in the loss, the team did not feel broken or demoralized after the game. Orgeron was seen leaving the field with arms up, yelling at Alabama fans, despite just suffering a heartbreaking defeat. He has personified the idea of a coach with nothing to lose, and at no point was that more evident than Saturday night.

Orgeron was disappointed in the loss but said that the fight and passion from the team will carry over into the remainder of the season. With three games left, Orgeron believes that the season is very much still salvageable with the way his team has improved.

“This is going to carry over into the last three games,” Orgeron said. “We’ve got to play the last three games with the same fire on defense and get better on offense.”