Alabama Beats LSU 31-13 in Death Valley: Fourth-Down Failures Doom Lane Kiffin’s Tigers
Alabama 31, LSU 13. LSU outgained Alabama by 172 yards and still lost by 18. The No. 5 Crimson Tide (per ESPN) scored the final 21 points in Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon, while No. 14 LSU went 0-for-4 on fourth down in Lane Kiffin’s first game against Alabama as the Tigers’ coach.
Quick answer: Alabama vs LSU final score
- Final: Alabama 31, LSU 13
- Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Records now: Alabama 7-2 (5-2 SEC), LSU 6-3 (3-3 SEC)
- Total yards: LSU 457, Alabama 285
How the game turned
Alabama led 10-3 at halftime after LSU’s final first-half drives ended in a failed fourth-and-4 and an interception. LSU came out of the break hot, scoring 10 straight points, including a Dillon Jones touchdown run, to take its only lead in the third quarter.
It didn’t last. Alabama answered with a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Then Ryan Coleman-Williams, back from a knee procedure, ripped off a 32-yard punt return, and on the very next play Keelon Russell found Cederian Morgan for a 25-yard touchdown. A sack of Sam Leavitt on fourth down set up one more Alabama score, and LSU fans started heading for the exits with more than six minutes left.
Key stats
| Player | Team | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Keelon Russell | Alabama | 17/24, 206 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT; 8 rushes, 37 yds |
| Ryan Coleman-Williams | Alabama | Rushing TD, 32-yd punt return |
| Sam Leavitt | LSU | 35/47, 380 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT |
| Jackson Harris | LSU | 11 catches, 166 yds |
| Trey’Dez Green | LSU | 10 catches, 85 yds |
Red zone and fourth downs: where LSU lost it
LSU reached the red zone four times and came away with just 10 points. It also missed a 56-yard field goal and failed on all four fourth-down tries, the most attempts without a conversion in Kiffin’s career, according to ESPN.
Kiffin called the loss really disappointing and said it came down to the red zone and fourth downs. He explained he kept going for it because he didn’t believe field goals would be enough to win. Leavitt called the fourth-down failures brutal and said he was shocked to look up and see 31-13.
SEC and playoff impact
The loss is LSU’s third of the season, and ESPN’s Allstate Playoff Predictor dropped the Tigers’ playoff chances from 51% to 25%. Alabama stays at two losses and keeps itself firmly in the SEC and College Football Playoff race. Alabama has now won four straight in the series; LSU’s last win was a 32-31 overtime thriller in 2022.
What’s next
- Alabama: at Vanderbilt next Saturday
- LSU: hosts Texas next Saturday, then travels to Tennessee
More college football from Week 11
- Notre Dame beats No. 1 Miami 31-24
- Oregon stuns Ohio State 41-28 in Columbus
- Michigan State beats Michigan 15-6 for the Paul Bunyan Trophy
Sources
- ESPN: Fourth-down flops doom LSU in loss to Alabama
- USA Today via Yahoo Sports: Inside LSU’s collapse against Alabama
- Bleacher Report: Final box score and top stats
- ESPN game recap
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