Jalen Milroe sets school records, leads the Tide to victory over LSU in SEC West thriller

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - The highly anticipated Alabama - LSU matchup is finally here! In what is the most anticipated matchups of the season, the two sides take the field looking to stay at the top of the SEC West as Alabama has returned to their old dominant form.

FIRST QUARTER

The Crimson Tide began the game with the ball in their possession after an opening kickoff went for a touchback. After a short run on first down and an incomplete pass on second down, the Tide, who have gotten off to multiple slow starts this season, faced an immediate third down on their first possession of the game. However, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe connected with CJ Dipree for 11-yards and a Crimson Tide first down. However, with a fresh set of downs, Alabama’s next two plays were identical to the first to plays of the drive. Then, on 3rd & 6, Milroe was sacked by Harold Perkins Jr., forcing a Crimson Tide punt.

LSU began their first possession on their own 15-yard line after a fair catch was called on the previous punt. Jayden Daniels, the star LSU QB, scrambled for 7-yards on the first play from scrimmage for the Tigers. After a few short runs and passes, LSU RB Josh Williams took a 6-yard carry across midfield, quickly getting the Tigers into Tide territory. Then, on the next play from scrimmage, Jayden Daniels connected with his favorite target, Malik Neighbors, for 46-yards and an LSU touchdown.

On the next Alabama possession, the Tide took the ball knowing they would need some sort of an answer, and that’s exactly what they did. On the first play of the possession, Jalen Milroe connected with Kendrick Law for 16-yards all the way up to the Crimson Tide 40-yard line. After a Jam Miller 4-yard run and a Jalen Milroe 11-yard run, the Tide found themselves in LSU territory before Milroe connected with Kobe Prentice for a 22-yard gain. Now, deep in LSU territory, the Tide looked to answer the call. Jalen Milroe called his own number and took a 23-yard carry around the outside and into the end zone for his sixth rushing touchdown of the year, tying the game 7-7.

After quickly scoring on their first offensive possession of the game, LSU had the ball back in their hands looking to do the same thing. After an incomplete pass on first down, Jayden Daniels scrambled out of the backfield for a 24-yard gain all the way up to the 49-yard line. Then, after a few incompletions and short runs, LSU was facing a 4th & 1 on the Alabama 42-yard line. LSU QB Jayden Daniels took the snap and looked to complete a pass to his favorite target, Malik Neighbors, but it was batted down and the Tide offense retook the field after the big stop from their counterparts on the other side of the ball.

The Tide quickyly got into LSU territory after two 5+ yard runs from Jase McClellan, putting Milroe and the Tide offense in control. Milroe then completed back to back passes to Isaiah Bond for 9 and 21-yards before calling his own number and taking a 4-yard carry into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the night.

END OF THE FIRST QUARTER:

Alabama - 14

LSU - 7

SECOND QUARTER

Beginning the second quarter with a 2nd & 5 on their own 22-yard line, Jayden Daniels got the drive going after a 28-yard carry to get the Tigers to midfield. After a 3-yard run from Logan Diggs, Jayden Daniels scrambled out of the pocket on 2nd & 7 and connected once again with Malik Neighbors for 22-yards. However, similar to their last drive, the Tigers offense stalled again in Alabama territory. After an incomplete pass and a run for no yards, Jayden Daniels was taken down hard for a sack on 3rd & 10, setting up a 46-yard field goal attempt from Damian Ramos.

However, Ramos’ kick was wide right, and the Tigers left the field without adding any points on the board.

After the missed field goal, the Tide began their next drive on their own 29-yard line. Jalen Milroe was sacked on 1st down and then took a carry for 5-yards on 2nd down, but the Tide got things going on 3rd & 8 after a 42-yard completion from Milroe to McClellan got the Tide down to the LSU 27-yard line. However, after an Alabama false start, an incomplete pass, and an 8-yard run that was unable to pick up the first down, the Tide were forced to call upon kicker Will Reichard 47-yard field goal attempt. However, just like Ramos’ missed kick for the Tigers, Reichard’s kick missed wide-right as well, keeping the score at 14-7 in favor of the Tide.

After Reichard’s kick missed wide-right, Jayden Daniels and the Tigers offense took the field again looking to tie the game. On the first play of the drive, Daniels connected with Neighbors for 11-yards, quickly moving the Tigers up to the Alabama 40-yard line. Then, after back to back completions to Brian Thomas Jr. for 8 and 23-yards, the Tigers were all of the sudden on the Crimson Tide 24-yard line. After an offside call on the Tide, the Tigers were unable to get anywhere on 1st & 5, setting up a big 3rd down deep in Alabama territory. Daniels then connected with, you guessed it, Malik Neighbors for 10-yards and a Tigers first down. Then, on 1st & goal, Jayden Daniels called his own number, taking the 9-yard carry up the middle and into the end zone, tying the game 14-14.

With 3:03 now remaining in the first half, the Tide, with plenty of time, looked to go back down the field and retake the lead for the second time of the night. After two short plays and facing a critical 3rd down late in the half deep in their own territory, Jalen Milroe fired a pass and connected with Jam Miller for a huge 35-yard gain to the LSU 32-yard line. After a couple short passes and an offensive penalty, Jalen Milroe took an 11-yard carry himself, giving himself just enough yards on 3rd & 11 for a Crimson Tide first down. Then, after an incompletion and a short run, Milroe again took it upon himself by taking a 21-yard carry into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the day.

Now down 21-14 with just 1:01 remaining in the first half, the Tigers had to quickly move down the field with just one timeout left in their pocket. After a 1-yard completion and an incomplete pass on 2nd down, Jayden Daniels decided he can run it just like Jalen Milroe, taking a 40-yard carry all the way down to the Alabama 26-yard line. Now being deep into Tide territory with just 24 seconds remaining in the half, the Tigers were called for an illegal snap on 1st down, and now faced a 1st & 15 on the Alabama 39-yard line after calling their last timeout of the half to avoid a 10-second runoff due to the penalty. On the following play, Daniels scrambled out of the pocket and down the field for 28-yards to the Alabama 11-yard line but LSU was called for an illegal blindside block at the end of the play and put themselves back to the Alabama 26-yard line. Then, on 1st & 10, Jayden Daniels connected with Kyren Lacy who spun his way down to the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

HALFTIME

Alabama - 21

LSU - 21

THIRD QUARTER

After a very eventful back and forth first half, the Crimson Tide and Tigers took the field at Bryant Denny Stadium for what might be the most anticipated half of football in the season thus far.

LSU began the second half with the ball after scoring to tie the game with just seconds to go at the end of the first half. Jayden Daniels and the Tiger offense took the field on their own 25-yard line, and after two short gains, Daniels connected with Malik Neighbors again for 17-yards and a Tigers first down. After an 11-yard Daniels run, he connected with Malik Neighbors, yes... again, for a gain of 30-yards all the way down to the Alabama 13-yard line. Then, after a 4-yard run from Josh Williams and a 7-yard run from Jayden Daniels, Williams took a 2-yard carry into the end zone for a Tiger touchdown.

Just as we had seen all night, Alabama got the ball back in their possession looking to answer the Tigers’ touchdown again. After multiple short runs and throws for the Crimson Tide as they slowly made their way down the field, Jalen Milroe finally broke free with an 18-yard run on 3rd & 10 setting up the Tide with a 1st & 10 on the LSU 33-yard line. After 8 and 9-yard respective runs from Roydell Williams, he finally broke free for a 16-yard touchdown run, tying the game back up 28-28.

LSU is one of the best teams in the NCAA when it comes to not having to punt the ball, but the Crimson Tide defense flipped the switch on the Tigers’ second possession of the second half. The Tigers went for just 6-plays and 10-yards on their second possession, punting the ball away to the Crimson Tide for the first time of the game.

Now with the ball back in their hands and momentum on their side, Alabama was looking to finally take total control of the game. In just 6-plays, the Tide stormed their way 68-yards down the field and into the end zone after a Jalen Milroe 11-yard run for his fourth rushing touchdown of the day, setting an Alabama record for the most rushing touchdowns by a Tide QB in a game.

END OF THE THIRD QUARTER

Alabama - 35

LSU - 28

FOURTH QUARTER

In the beginning of the fourth quarter, after retaking the lead, the Crimson Tide defense came up with another huge play. An interception from the Tide defense set up their offense on the LSU 25-yard line, looking to start pulling away from the Tigers near the end of the third quarter.

Then, just five plays later, Jase McClellan took a 10-yard carry into the end zone, putting the Tide up by 14 and effectively ending the game.

The next three possessions between the two teams resulted in an LSU punt, an Alabama missed field-goal, their second miss of the game, and a turnover on downs by LSU. After the turnover on downs, the Tide ran out the clock and sang the night away into the streets of Tuscaloosa after defeating the LSU Tigers.

FINAL

Alabama - 42

LSU - 28

Alabama, who is now 8-1 and leader in the SEC West, will be back on the field next Saturday taking on the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m.

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