TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After Joe Burrow entered Bryant-Denny Stadium on Nov. 9, 2019, he left as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. For three quarters, it looked like Jayden Daniels was doing the same Saturday night.
He was LSU’s lifeline against Alabama and exited the game with 382 total yards and three touchdowns.
However, Daniels’ night ended in painful misery. After leaving the game in concussion protocol, he and LSU fell short to Alabama 42-28.
The flow of the game was an all too familiar story for LSU. Two offenses moved up and down the field with little resistance, and whoever cracked first lost.
That crack came on the first play of the fourth quarter.
After playing a near-perfect game for three quarters, Dallas Turner tipped Daniels’ pass at the line of scrimmage, and the ball landed comfortably in Alabama’s Caleb Downs’ grasp. With Alabama already up by seven, the Tigers lost their momentum.
Alabama scored on the ensuing possession, and it went from bad to ugly when Daniels left the game injured on LSU’s next possession after taking a big hit to the head.
It was Turner again.
Alabama’s All-American defensive end launched himself up into Daniels’ facemask. Daniels missed the remainder of the game despite trying to return two plays later.
When Daniels exited the game, so did LSU.
Backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeier tried to give the offense a spark, but it was already down 14 points, and the damage was done.
But the reason for the loss lies not in injured quarterbacks, missed targeting calls or tipped interceptions. LSU gave up 42 points and 507 yards of total offense to a team who came into the game 78th in total offense.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe broke a school record for touchdowns in a game with four, and Alabama rushed for 288 yards as a team. The worst part for LSU? It’s the exact same story as its other two losses.
LSU came into the game down its best corner and defensive lineman. The Tigers were forced to lean on true freshmen in the secondary. The defensive line rotation was thinner than normal. But none of that changes LSU’s need for a win to stay alive in the SEC West.
Now with three losses, LSU’s SEC Championship and playoff hopes are officially dead, and it might’ve squandered the program’s second-best offense ever.
