LSU’s College Football Playoff hopes, already hanging by a thread in Lane Kiffin’s first season, just got incredibly faint. No. 5 Alabama absolutely took over in the fourth quarter for a crushing 31-13 win over the No. 14 Tigers, turning a tight game into a full-blown rout.
The Tide’s Fourth Quarter Tidal Wave
Man, what a collapse for LSU. The Tigers actually grabbed their first lead of the game, but then Alabama just flipped a switch and scored 21 straight points. The Tide was up 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, and that’s when they truly seized control. LSU faced a crucial fourth-and-one deep in their own territory. Kiffin probably thought long and hard about going for it from his own 16-yard line, but he decided to punt. Big mistake. Ryan Coleman-Williams, back on the field for Alabama after missing nearly a month with a knee injury, scooped up that punt and took it 32 yards all the way to the LSU 25-yard line. The Tigers only netted six yards on that kick. And on the *very next play*, Keelon Russell connected with Cedarian Morgan for a score that put Alabama up by two touchdowns. That was a thing of beauty if you’re an Alabama fan, an absolute gut punch for LSU.
Kiffin’s Gambles and LSU’s Costly Misses
Kiffin found himself in another tough spot soon after Morgan’s touchdown. After a first-down sack pushed the Tigers way behind the chains, LSU had fourth-and-10 at their own 25-yard line with just over eight minutes left on the clock. This time, Kiffin rolled the dice and went for it. Sam Leavitt got sacked for the second time in just four plays. Ouch. Three plays later, Russell threw his third touchdown of the game, hitting Kaleb Edwards on the sideline for a four-yard score. If you want to know where this game slipped away for LSU, look no further than their fourth-down and red zone struggles. The Tigers went for it on fourth down *four* times, and they failed to convert a single one of those attempts. Not one!
Their first fourth-down blunder happened in the second quarter. LSU had already kicked a short field goal on their first drive and missed a 56-yard attempt before Alabama went up 10-3. Trailing by seven, LSU needed four yards for a first down at Alabama’s 9-yard line. Kiffin kept the offense on the field, but Leavitt’s pass to Trey’Dez Green was broken up and fell incomplete. Then, just before halftime, with a chance to tie the game and in field goal range, Leavitt threw an interception to Luke Metz with only 28 seconds left. Kiffin didn’t hold back on his quarterback either, stating clearly: “Obviously, Sam [Leavitt] made a poor decision there.” To top it all off, LSU entered the red zone four times during the game and only managed to score *one* touchdown. That’s just brutal efficiency, or lack thereof.
This 31-13 loss stings, big time. With Kiffin’s aggressive fourth-down calls failing to pay off and the offense sputtering in the red zone, LSU watched their playoff dreams dim considerably. It’s clear that execution on crucial downs and inside the 20-yard line has to get way better if they want to claw back into contention, but after a blow like this, it feels like a long road ahead for the Tigers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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