How Jalen Milroe, Alabama beat LSU in SEC West showdown
Alabama is in the driver's seat in the SEC West after knocking off LSU.
Kennington Smith III and The Athletic College Football Staff
November 4, 2023 at 11:24 PM EDT
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Alabama powers past LSU behind Jalen Milroe
The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide powered past the No. 14 LSU Tigers 42-28 at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday night. Here’s what you need to know:
With LSU leading 28-21 with 11:14 remaining in the third quarter, Alabama responded with 21 unanswered points. Roydell Williams, Jalen Milroe and Jase McClellan all recorded rushing touchdowns in Alabama’s second-half scoring surge.
Milroe went 15-of-23 passing for 219 yards and added 155 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He is the first quarterback in Alabama history to score four rushing touchdowns in a single game.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels absorbed a big hit from Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner with 12:54 left in the fourth quarter. Turner was assessed a roughing the passer penalty while Daniels went to the blue tent and entered concussion protocol.
Alabama improved to 8-1 with the win, while LSU fell to 6-3.
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Alabama powers past LSU behind Jalen Milroe’s career-defining performance
What a win for Alabama
42-28. LSU losing Daniels didn't help the Tigers' comeback cause, but the Tide won this game with a clinical offense and those back-to-back defensive stops in the late third/early fourth quarters, the second one a turnover that led to seven points. Alabama remains undefeated in SEC play and all alone atop the west division. They looked the part of a legit contender in this one.
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Bad news for the Tigers
On a play that in other circumstances might have been called targeting, but was at least rightly determined to be roughing the passer, Dallas Turner knocked Jayden Daniels out of the game —for how long we don't know. LSU turns now to gunslinger Garrett Nussmeier as they try to dig themselves out of a fourteen-point hole.
Bama's offense has been ridiculously efficient
Over 200 yards running and passing, 9 for 12 on third downs, four touchdowns on four red zone trips and now seven points off turnovers. A clinic.
It felt like a game in which the first offense that blinked would lose the edge. Since the score was tied 28-28 midway through the third quarter, LSU's offense has been stopped on back-to-back drives (punt, interception) while Alabama's scored on back-to-back drives. That's the difference in what's a 42-28 Crimson Tide lead with 13:01 to play.
What a massive turnover by the Alabama defense
That's two straight stops and a gained possession. Chance to really dictate the rest of this game on this subsequent drive.
Feels like that's the backbreaker for LSU, notwithstanding the fourth quarter just beginning. Jayden Daniels' fourth interception of the year comes off of a tip by Dallas Turner, hauled in by Terrion Arnold.
If LSU goes down by two touchdowns, then that feels like a ballgame considering the Tigers' defense.
Jalen Milroe keeps finding the end zone
Jalen Milroe has as many rushing touchdowns tonight (four) as Alabama QBs had against LSU in the previous 15 meetings combined (four from 2009-22 including two games in 2011).
AJ McCarron had one in 2012, Jalen Hurts had one in 2016 and one in 2017 and Tua Tagovailoa had one in 2018.
Another rushing TD for Jalen Milroe
Alabama's rush offense is over 225 yards and Alabama leads 35-28 with 1:01 left in the third quarter.
Milroe-- 342 total yards (200 passing, 142 rushing) and is the first quarterback in Bama history with four rushing TDs in a game.
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I believe we could say that Alabama held serve on that LSU drive
After yet another huge Jayden Daniels run was negated by a holding call on LSU's LT, Will Campbell, the Tigers could not dig themselves out of a 2nd-and-17 hole.
Alabama will begin their drive at the 32-yard line, with a chance to take the lead here — assuming patterns hold.
Alabama kicker has now scored 500 points
Also of note- With that extra point, Alabama kicker Will Reichard is now up to 500 career points scored. He is the fourth player in NCAA history to hit 500 career points. He is now tied with Wisconsin's Montee Ball for third-most all-time. He needs 30 more points to tie the NCAA record.
Don't count out the Tides offense
I underrated Alabama's offense coming into this one. Other than a missed field goal, LSU's own offense has been its typically potent self, and I didn't think the Tide would be able to keep up if that were the case.
Pound the rock
Rushing yards accounted for the entirety of that Alabama drive (70 yards) and the score's tied again at 28-28 with 7:30 left in the third quarter.
This game might just come down to who blinks first offensively and/or who has the ball last.
LSU 28, Alabama 21
Malik Nabers makes the case for being the best wide receiver in the country after an incredible adjustment of his foot resulted in a massive 30-yard pass.
Josh Williams, a senior running back and former walk-on, finished off the drive with a 2-yard rush that seemed stymied until he bounced it out to the outside.
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Alabama making an adjustment defensively to start the second half
Trey Amos to CB, Terrion Arnold to Star and Malachi Moore to safety opposite Caleb Downs. Looks like starting safety Jaylen Key is done for the day.
QBs haven't rushed for 100-plus and won vs. Alabama
Alabama has allowed three QBs to finish a game with 100-plus rush yards in a game since Nick Saban took over as head coach in 2008.
- Auburn’s Robby Ashford in 2022
- Ole Miss’ John Rhys Plumlee in 2019
- Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray in the 2018 Orange Bowl
All three players’ teams lost the game by double digits.
Jayden Daniels running wild
LSU’s Jayden Daniels rushed for 137 yards and a TD in the 1st half against Alabama.
Daniels joins Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond (112 in 1st half in 2018) as the only QBs to rush for 100-plus yards in a half against the Nick Saban-coached Crimson Tide.
HALFTIME: Alabama 21, LSU 21
Total yards: LSU 323, Bama 270
QBs: Milroe- 10-16 for 165 yards, 0-0, 13 rushes for 102 yards and 3 TDs /// Daniels: 10-16 for 164 yards, 2-0, 8 rushes for 137 yards (!) and one TD
Something to monitor
Terrion Arnold and Caleb Downs collided on that Jayden Daniels run and Arnold went down, he's up and walking off under his own power. Arnold was in concussion protocol over the bye week, will be interesting if he returns.
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Back and forth we go
Kyren Lacy, who had been called for a penalty as well as making a costly dropped pass in the first quarter, picks up the touchdown.
LSU will get the ball back to start the second half, and the score is 21-21 (barring something crazy in the next five seconds, which is possible in this game).
Tide up 21-14, LSU's offense will have about a minute to work with.
LSU's issues on third down have been killer all season as, going into this game, they have allowed opponents to convert on more than 42% of such downs. It killed them again on this drive, as Jalen Milroe rushed for his THIRD touchdown of the night on a third-and-9, after converting a third-and-11 earlier in the drive.
What Alabama fans have been waiting for
Jalen Milroe taking what the defense gives him from the pocket and using his legs for gains.
21-yard TD run and Alabama regains the lead 21-14 with 1:01 until halftime. Milroe on the ground tonight: 12 rushes for 82 yards and 3 TDs.
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