Top 10 Matchup Reignites Bama-LSU Rivalry
Photo vis Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images
Looking at this game in September, this one didn’t look like it would be competitive. LSU was reeling from a tight opening day loss to Florida State and new coach Brian Kelley was in full “first-year at a new program” mode. Meanwhile, the Tide was ranked #1 and although there was a narrow escape at Texas, still seemed to be untouchable. Fast forward to November, Kelly and LSU has found their footing, the Tide slipped up against Tennessee, both teams find themselves in the thick of a three-way race (with Ole Miss) for the SEC West, and both teams are sitting in the top ten as Alabama visits Death Valley for a huge matchup with the Tigers. Both teams are coming off bye-weeks and should be fresh coming into the contest.
LSU sits at 5-2, 4-1 in the conference and are coming off their most impressive win of the season, a 45-20 dominating outing over Ole Miss. Junior quarterback Jayden Daniels has been on a tear as of late, and he has become one of the top signal callers in the conference. He is completing 69.9% of his passes and has a touchdown to interception ratio of 12-1. Daniels also leads the team in rushing, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and he has 9 rushing touchdowns, which includes 6 in the last two games. His favorite target is senior Jaray Jennings, who averages 14.4 yards per catch and has caught 5 touchdowns on the season, however the most dangerous receiver on the field will be junior Kayshon Boutte. On the ground, junior Josh Williams, sophomore Armoni Goodwin, and junior Noah Cane have combined for 13 rushing scores. Freshman placekicker Damion Ramos is 5 of 8 with a long kick of 47 yards. As a unit, LSU ranks 30th nationally, averaging 450 yards and 35 points per game. On defense, the Tigers rank 35th overall, giving up 346 yards and 21.12 points per game. A strong linebacking group consisting of senior Micah Baskerville, sophomore Greg Penn III, and freshman Harold Perkins Jr leads the defense.
Alabama is looking to take the next step towards an SEC West crown and a possible CFP berth. The Tide offense ranks 17th in the country, averaging 43 points and 485 yards per contest. Quarterback Bryce Young continues to shine, completing 66.1% of his passes for 18 touchdowns against 3 interceptions. Ja’Corey Brooks leads all receivers, averaging 17.9 yards per catch and he has 4 touchdowns on the season. Jahmyr Gibbs leads the Tide on the ground, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Gibbs has scored 6 touchdowns on the ground and has 4 more as a receiver. Placekicker Will Reichard looks to be back on track after a rough stretch. For the season, the senior is 12 for 16, which included going 3 for 3 against Mississippi State, with a season long kick of 52 yards. Defensively, the Tide ranks 17th overall, giving up an average of 295 yards and 16.6 points per game. After a terrible outing against Tennessee, the Tide defense returned to form against MSU and will look to continue to move forward against Daniels and the Tigers.
Look for emotions to be running high in this one early. Although Bama has not played particularly well on the road this season, I expect one of the better outings from the boys in crimson on Saturday night. The LSU offense is strong and will test the Tide defense, yet the Bama offense should have its way against a suspect Tiger D. Alabama has not lost in Tiger Stadium since 2010, and Saturday marks the official start of the second season, when all contests are essentially playoff games. Coach Saban and the Tide play their best ball when their backs are against the wall, and although LSU will put up a strong fight, Alabama prevails and takes a crucial next step towards a possible rematch with Tennessee (or Georgia, if they knock off the Vols in Athens on Saturday) for the SEC title.
Alabama 34
LSU 20