Blake Sims helped Alabama to a huge road win over LSU. (Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)
BATON ROUGE, La. — Quarterback Blake Sims threw a 6-yard fade to wide receiver DeAndrew White on the first series of overtime and the Alabama defense forced LSU into four incompletions on its lone possession to lift the No. 5 Crimson Tide to a 20-13 victory over the No. 16 Tigers on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.
The overtime was just about as crazy as the final two minutes of regulation. Alabama (8-1 , 5-1 SEC) had the ball first and Sims connected with tight end Brandon Greene to the LSU 1. But lineman Leon Brown was flagged for a late block, pushing the Tide back to their 15.
Alabama overcame the personal foul when Sims found White open in man coverage by cornerback Jalen Mills in the right corner of the end zone.
LSU (7-3, 3-3) had one crack to answer, but fullback Melvin Jones dropped a first-down pass and quarterback Anthony Jennings then threw three consecutive incompletions to end the game.
Trailing 13-10 with 50 seconds left, Sims drove Alabama drove 45 yards in seven plays to the LSU 10, where Adam Griffith kicked a 27-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
Just seconds earlier, with the score tied 10-10, Alabama appeared content to send the game into overtime after LSU downed a punt at the Tide 1-yard line with 1:56 left.
But on second down, running back T.J. Yeldon started off left tackle and was wrapped up at the ankles by linebacker Lamar Louis, and the ball came free as he fell to the turf, with linebacker Kendall Beckwith recovering for LSU at the Alabama 6.
LSU ran one play — a 1-yard dive by Terrence Magee — but guard Vadal Alexander was ruled for unsportsmanlike conduct when he pushed defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson off the pile, moving LSU back 15 yards to the Alabama 21.
That was a decisive penalty because LSU had to settle for a go-ahead 39-yard field goal by Colby Delahoussaye with 50 seconds left instead of possibly punching it in for a touchdown.
The LSU defense held Alabama to five offensive snaps in the third quarter, and at one point in the second half, the Tigers had run 35 plays to Alabama’s six.
But despite controlling the clock, LSU managed only a 37-yard field goal by Delahoussaye on the first possession of the second half to tie the score 10-10.
The LSU defense forced Alabama to punt after three downs on nine of its first 12 possessions, and LSU held an overwhelming edge in time of possession, 35:34 to 17:42.
Alabama’s 11 plays in the first 25 minutes of the half netted only 33 yards.
But LSU, which ran on 24 of 26 first-down plays until the final series, couldn’t do much with the ball when it had it, either.
LSU got on the board first on a circus, one-handed catch by Malachi Dupre for a 14-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Dupre’s catch originally was called an incompletion, but the replay showed he cradled the ball with his left hand for the 7-0 lead.
Malachi’s stunning catch proved to be only one of two passes completed by Anthony Jennings in the first half. Jennings consistently missed open receivers, even on short crossing routes, one reason why LSU ran the ball on 12 consecutive first downs.
Jennings was 2 of 10 for just 31 yards in the first half, and his interception just before halftime set up Alabama for a 39-yard field goal by Adam Griffith to give the Crimson Tide a 10-7 lead. Wide receiver Travin Dural slipped on the play, allowing cornerback Eddie Jackson to pick off the ball and return it to the LSU 29. But Jennings was ineffective on most of his other throws.
Alabama tied the score 7-7 with 5:40 left in the second quarter on a 23-yard slant from Sims to Amari Cooper, who shook off safety Jamal Adams and Mills at the 10 and raced into the end zone.
NOTES: Alabama saw how ineffective Anthony Jennings was in passing the ball, so it loaded the box against the LSU running game in the first half. … Alabama WR Amari Cooper started the game by dropping two passes but redeemed himself with a 23-yard TD catch. … LSU’s defense lost some zip when MLB Kendell Beckwith left for treatment on a strained hamstring.
