by Allie Peyton
contributor
Going into Death Valley Saturday night, general expectations for the highly anticipated Alabama-LSU game were certainly elavated. After the upset LSU pulled against the previously No. 3-ranked Ole Miss, Alabama was next on the list in LSU’s attempt to climb towards the top of the SEC West.
The sellout crowd experienced the hotly contested matchup they paid for, but for most in attendance, not the outcome they wanted. Anthony Jennings completed just eight of 26 passes for less than 80 yards, compared Blake Sims’s 20 out of 45 passes for 209 yards for the Crimson Tide. If it wasn’t for LSU’s defensive line, Alabama’s victory would have been uncontested.
The first quarter ended with a Tiger lead after Malachi Dupre caught a 14-yard pass from Anthony Jennings, and Colby Delahoussaye tacked on the extra point. Alabama quickly returned in the second quarter with a touchdown pass by Sims to Amari Cooper. At the close of the second quarter, Alabama had a three-point lead after a 39-yard field goal from Adam Griffith.
LSU came back to tie the game and eventually take the lead with two field goals by Delahoussaye. With 50 seconds left in the game, Louisiana State had a three-point lead in the 10-13 game. The Crimson Tide’s Blake Sims commanded his team—known for its offense—down the stretch. Sims drove the team 55 yards in the last 50 seconds of the game, setting up Griffith for a 27-yard field goal to tie the game and send the two teams into overtime.
Overtime ended with the Crimson Tide winning 20-13 after Sims threw a six-yard touchdown pass to DeAndrew White. The Alabama comeback was similar to A.J. McCarron’s win over LSU in Death Valley in 2012. Saturday night in Death Valley left Tiger fans disappointed, but the excitement during the game keeps fans hopeful for next week’s competition when LSU plays Arkansas, and Alabama takes on the No. 1 Mississippi State.