Following a 31-7 loss at Auburn and a 33-30 miracle win at Kentucky, the grass of Tiger Stadium never has looked greener for LSU.
And after battling Auburn and the Wildcats in the sunshine, the moonlight and crisp air of a Saturday night in Death Valley is a welcomed presence as LSU (7-2, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) hosts Alabama (8-2, 5-1) Saturday at 8 p.m.
“It’s always good to be back at home,” said LSU linebacker Bradie James. “It’s good to be playing at night. We have time to rest. We have all the tailgating. All of those people will be ready. That is really what makes Tiger Stadium what it is. Sometimes playing at home can be that 12th man.”
Alabama comes into Saturday’s game as one of the hottest teams in the country, winners of their last four games. The Crimson Tide presents one of the nation’s top defenses and has only allowed 43 points in their last four games.
The Tide allows 16.7 points per game and is No. 3 in total defense. Offensively, ‘Bama is very effective as well averaging more than 30 points per game.
“This is certainly a game where Alabama is probably — when you look at them all the way around defensively — the strongest team we have played to this point,” said LSU coach Nick Saban. “I think their offense is much more advanced than when we played them last year.”
“This is really a good all-around football team, and they’ve got a lot of good football players. It’s going to be a big challenge for us, and we need to get our players focused and healthy and get after it as best we can.”
LSU has beaten Alabama two straight seasons, including last year’s 35-21 win in Tuscaloosa where then-quarterback Rohan Davey passed for a school-record 528 yards and receiver Josh Reed caught an SEC-record 19 passes for another record 293 yards.
The year before that, the Tigers beat the Tide for the first time in Baton Rouge, 30-28, since 1969 behind Josh Booty’s four touchdown passes.
“This has been a great rivalry for us,” James said. “I know my sophomore year we had baby boomers tearing down the goalposts. We’ve played those guys hard, and they’ve played hard.”
Saban said quarterback Marcus Randall and the LSU offense have had a nice week in practice. The third-year LSU coach said playing in Tiger Stadium will be a help to the Tigers’ signal caller, who will be starting his fourth game of the season since starter Matt Mauck injured his foot against Florida.
“I think Marcus’ biggest problem — as I’ve always said — is he’s a worrier,” Saban said. “He worries about a lot of things. It’s a lot easier to feel comfortable at home in your own surroundings, in your own environment and being supported by a lot of people.”
Randall, who hit 10-of-23 passes for 264 yards including the game-winning 75-yard “Hail Mary” to Devery Henderson to beat Kentucky, is looking forward to Saturday night.
“We’re feeling good,” he said. “We’ve started preparing for [Alabama], and they look like they’re a great defense. It’s going to be great to be back at home after two road games.”
Saban admires the job Alabama coach Dennis Franchione and his coaching staff have done at Alabama, despite the punishment handed down on the Crimson Tide football program that will prevent them from winning the SEC West and going to a bowl game.
“He’s done a great job,” Saban said. “They have a lot of outstanding football players … a lot of outstanding football players, a lot of very talented players. They have done a fantastic job on both sides of the ball in getting those guys to play well and to play well together. I think they’ve done a fantastic job there.”