Last week, the senior defensive back was confident in saying LSU’s defense would dominate and it did in the first half.
Yet, LSU punched Alabama in the mouth first, defensive end Arden Key said.
For the first time since 2007, Nick Saban’s first season as the Tide’s head coach, Alabama was held scoreless in the first half of a game.
But a prolific offense such as Alabama’s, which coming into the contest was averaging 43 points per game, was going to eventually score.
“We did what we could do for sixty minutes,” said sophomore defensive end Arden Key. “Alabama is a good offensive team, sooner or later they were going to score.”
Thomas backed up his words recording a season-high nine tackles, three of which were for loss.
On the first drive of the game junior safety Jamal Adams set the tone early with his diving interception on third down to give LSU’s offense the ball across in Alabama’s territory.
LSU’s offense would produce no points from the turnover.
Alabama struggled to convert offense in the first half with back-to-back three-and-out possessions and a missed field goal attempt. But when Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin took a shot, Hurts didn’t miss.
Sophomore cornerback Donte Jackson was beat on one-on-one coverage downfield by ArDarius Stewart on a 52-yard pass play, setting the Tide were inside LSU’s five-yard line.
But the defense stalled Alabama at the goal line with 0:08 left in the first half.
LSU had all the confidence in the world.
“We were excited,” Key said. “We felt like we were going to win.”
LSU’s defense was aggressive, pressuring Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts with blitzes and continued to make tackles for loss.
The second half was a different story.
Alabama’s offense controlled the line of scrimmage in the second half, possessing the ball for 22:17 minutes, but LSU’s defense held them for as long as it could.
“We were on the field for too long,” Key said.
Two long drives and two plays broke the spirit of LSU’s defense.
A 15-play, 90-yard scoring drive — that took nearly 10 minutes of game time — wore down LSU’s defense as Alabama continued to rack up more yards.
Hurts’ scrambling ability and elusiveness on third down plays gassed the Tigers. And, after only allowing 120 yards in the first half, Alabama racked up 203 yards of offense.
“They spread it out, we pulled up on him, [and] he ran,” said LSU coach Ed Orgeron. “We missed a couple of plays.”
