It is a rivalry that spans more than 100 years.
LSU defeated Alabama 12-6 in the first ever meeting between the two programs in 1895.
When LSU travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala. Saturday to battle the Crimson Tide, the two teams will write the 67th chapter in the rivals’ storied history.
But the history has been mostly one-sided. Alabama holds a 43-18-5 advantage over the Tigers. During the Paul “Bear” Bryant era, Alabama garnered a 16-4 record against LSU. Alabama won 11 straight contests between 1971 and 1981 behind Bryant.
On the encouraging side, LSU has won two of the last three meetings between the two schools despite last season’s 31-0 disappointment in Baton Rouge.
The Crimson Tide rushing attack owned the LSU defense last season. No. 10 Alabama totaled 300 yards rushing against the No. 14 Tigers.
Santonio Beard accounted for 109 rushing yards for Bama, while Shaud Williams added 131 yards. Beard also found the end zone twice for the Crimson Tide.
The first score of the game did not come until 3:52 in the second quarter. Beard scrambled six yards to put the Tide up 6-0.
The coup de gras came at the end of the second quarter. LSU punter Donnie Jones pinned the Crimson Tide inside the Alabama five-yard line. In the remaining 1:41 of the first half, Crimson Tide quarterback Tyler Watts led the Tide 96 yards to the end zone. Watts scored on a two-yard run and the Tide added the two-point conversion to take a 14-0 lead at halftime.
“I think the real key turning point in the game was when we had fourth-and-two right before the half,” LSU coach Nick Saban said after the game. “We punt the ball down to the four-yard line and they go 96 yards and score right before the half. I think that was a real momentum change in the game.”
After keeping Alabama off the scoreboard in the third quarter, the Tigers’ defense began to deteriorate. Beard found the end zone for the second time with 14:53 to go in the game from 22 yards out. After a field goal extended the Alabama lead to 24-0, Watts hit Zach Fletcher for a 27-yard touchdown strike.
LSU could not find any answers against the Tide – especially offensively. The Tigers totaled a measley 196 yards of offense on the day.
The shutout ended the Tigers’ 72-game streak of not being held scoreless in a contest. In fact, it was Alabama in 1996 that held the Tigers scoreless previously, 26-0, in Baton Rouge.
Death Valley has been quite friendly to the Crimson Tide over the years. Alabama holds a 23-6-2 record against the Tigers in Baton Rouge. Between 1971 and 2000, Alabama won 14 consecutive games in Baton Rouge.
The drought for LSU at home finally came to an end in 2000. LSU defeated Alabama 30-28 in Baton Rouge for the first time in 30 years.
Former Tigers quarterback Josh Booty threw four touchdown passes in the game. Josh Reed and Robert Royal each caught two touchdowns. A 28-yard field goal by John Corbello in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in the game.
Booty’s luck against the Crimson Tide ran out the previous year in Tuscaloosa. In the 1999 matchup between the two teams, Corbello made a 32-yard field goal with 7:33 to play to cut the Alabama lead to 23-17. After holding the Crimson Tide, Booty prepared the Tigers for one final drive with 2:23 to play.
Booty effectively performed the two-minute drill, driving LSU to the Alabama one-yard line. But Booty’s prowess deteriorated at the goal line. On first-and-goal with no timeouts remaining, Booty elected to scramble right and was stopped at the goal line by the Bama defense. Time ran out on Booty and the Tigers.
Alabama leads the all-time series in Tuscaloosa 9-5 against the Tigers. In fact, the Crimson Tide led the series in four of the six locations that games have been played – Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge, Birmingham [8-5-1] and Montgomery [2-0].
The series is tied in New Orleans, literally. In the only meeting between Alabama and LSU in New Orleans, the rivals played to a 7-7 stalemate in 1921.
LSU leads the series in Mobile, Ala. 2-0-1.