LSU spent enough of Saturday night moving the ball to make the score feel almost upside down. The Tigers piled up yards, found receivers in space and even grabbed a brief lead late in the third quarter.
None of it mattered in the end. Alabama walked out of Baton Rouge with a 31-13 win, and LSU’s playoff hopes took the kind of hit that doesn’t leave much room for debate.
The numbers told one story. LSU racked up 365 yards of offense in three quarters, while Alabama finished with 283 for the game.
But the part that decided everything was the stretch inside the red zone, where LSU kept coming up empty or getting in its own way. That pattern has already haunted the Tigers in their two previous losses, and it showed up again against Alabama.
Sam Leavitt did plenty through the air, completing 35 of 47 passes for 380 yards, but he never found the end zone as a passer. His best weapons were open all night.
Tight end Trey’Dez Green and wide receiver Jackson Harris kept finding room, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. mixed up their routes well whenever LSU could stretch the field. Harris finished with 116 yards on 11 catches, while Green added 10 receptions for 85 yards.
Still, the Tigers couldn’t finish drives the way they needed to. Running back Dilin Jones handled most of the work near the goal line, and Leavitt also had to use his legs at times.
LSU’s first lead came late in the third quarter when Jones went untouched into the end zone, but that advantage didn’t last long. Alabama answered with a 57-yard catch and run by wide receiver Rico Scott, then reclaimed the lead two minutes later.
LSU also undercut itself with missed chances on fourth down. A failed 4th and 5 at Alabama’s 9-yard line came about five minutes before halftime, and Leavitt then threw his first interception in nearly five halves of football with less than a minute left in the first half.
Those two moments helped hold LSU to just 3 points in its lowest-scoring half of the season. The Tigers finished 0-4 on fourth down, with the first two failed tries ending on swatted balls.
The late-game unraveling came quickly. After Alabama moved ahead 24-13 with 10 minutes left, Leavitt was sacked twice in four plays. Alabama scored on the very next offensive snap, and the game was effectively done.
On the other side, LSU’s defense had trouble slowing Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker has had success this season against mobile quarterbacks with his pass rush, but LSU’s defensive tackles weren’t creating enough disruption.
Russell had plenty of clean pockets, including the sequence in the second quarter when he found tight end Kaleb Edwards at the LSU 1-yard line. Alabama scored two plays later.
Baker did make adjustments, leaning on the secondary when the front seven couldn’t get home. Cornerback DJ Pickett recorded LSU’s only sack of the first half, and safety Ty Benefield added another in the second.
Benefield looked like the kind of player who could help as a spy, but LSU’s problems on offense left the defense without much margin. The Tigers were also missing linebacker Whit Weeks, and TJ Dottery and Davhon Keys were forced into roles they couldn’t fully handle against Russell.
LSU’s final sequence ended with a fumble, and the crowd that remained began filtering out. There was no frantic rush, just the quiet sense that the night had already gone too far. Alabama, which has now won in Baton Rouge in all but one visit since 2012, won’t return until at least 2030.
Now LSU turns to its final home game against Texas on Nov. 14. The Tigers will host the Longhorns on senior night, but a shot at the College Football Playoff will not be part of the setup.
In Other News...
LSU Suddenly Has Another Big Alabama Availability Concern
LSU is still dealing with a thin margin for error heading into its matchup with Alabama, and the latest availability report did not do the Tigers many favors. Linebacker Whit Weeks remains doubtful for the game, while tight end TreyDez Green is listed as questionable because of a knee injury, adding more uncertainty to a roster already missing several players on season-ending injuries.
Alabama, meanwhile, got a cleaner update on its side of the ledger, with receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and center Racin Delgatty both moved from questionable to probable. For LSU, the concern is less about one injury and more about how many moving parts remain in flux this late in the week, especially against a rival that is trending in a more stable direction. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Could Get A Huge Boost For Alabama At The Perfect Time
The timing could hardly be better for LSU. Tiger Stadium is set to host Alabama in a Week 10 SEC matchup after a bye week for both teams, and the Tigers appear to be getting a key piece back in tight end Trey'Dez Green after his injury absence. For an LSU offense that can use every available weapon in a game of this size, his return adds another layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of weight.
LSU's defense will also have a chance to lean into one of its biggest strengths against an Alabama quarterback who has taken plenty of punishment this season. Keelon Russell has been sacked 22 times, and the Tigers have built a reputation around getting after the passer. With both teams still chasing playoff positioning, this one in Baton Rouge has the feel of more than just another SEC showdown. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Have Several Week 10 Games Worth Watching Closely
Week 10 brings a slate that should keep LSU fans glued to the scoreboard even before the Tigers take the field, with several matchups carrying real weight for the playoff race and the national rankings. Utah-BYU, Texas-Missouri, Ohio State-Oregon, Georgia-Ole Miss and Miami-Notre Dame all have something at stake, whether it is a chance to improve a resume, protect a spot near the top of the poll or survive a tricky conference test that could reshape the postseason picture.
For LSU supporters, the appeal is not just the quality of the games but the ripple effect they could have on the road ahead. Injuries to key players and the way each team handles those absences could matter as much as the matchup itself, especially with so many contenders clustered together and every result carrying extra weight. By Saturday night, the Tigers may have a clearer sense of which teams are separating themselves and which ones are about to make the playoff conversation even messier. [Read more 🡒]