By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Alabama’s current, dominating 14-2 lead over LSU in the series began with that infamous 21-0 win over the Tigers in the national championship game on Jam. 9, 2012, in the Louisiana Superdome. Before that game, LSU had won two straight in the series and had won 9 of the first 12 in this century.
On Saturday night, the No. 5 Crimson Tide embarked on another silencing, 21-0 run after falling behind 13-10 with 2:44 left in the third quarter for a 31-13 win over the No. 14 Tigers in front of 102,321 at Tiger Stadium.
“It got kind of ugly there in the end.” … Lane Kiffin on getting outscored 21-0 late as LSU signed off on annual series with Bama early. Updated gamer w/quotes:
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) November 8, 2026
LSU led for exactly two minutes and eight seconds total in this game after running back Dilin Jones scored on a 5-yard run for the 13-10 lead with 2:44 to play as the crowd went wild. But one scrimmage play later, Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell completed a 57-yard pass to Rico Scott to the Tigers’ 18-yard line, hushing Tiger Stadium. Three plays later, it got quieter when Russell hit tight end Josh Ford for a 7-yard touchdown and 17-13 lead with 36 seconds left in the third quarter.
And the 21-0 rout was on. And the Tigers (6-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) are squarely on the College Football Playoff bubble, while Alabama (7-2, 5-2 SEC) appears on its way to yet another playoff.
-With 9:49 left to play, Ryan Coleman Williams returned an LSU punt 32 yards to the Tigers’ 25-yard line.
-With 9:44 left, Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell found wide receiver Cederian Morgan for a 25-yard touchdown and 24-13 lead.
-With 8:00 to go, LSU coach Lane Kiffin went for it on fourth down from his own 25, and quarterback Sam Leavitt got sacked for minus-7 yards. “Not getting it on fourth down is pretty brutal,” Leavitt said, and that happened 4-of-4 times for the Tigers.
-Three plays later, Russell found tight end Kaleb Edwards for a 4-yard touchdown and 31-13 lead with 6:23 to play.
And it was over.
This is how a college football team outgains another by 172 yards and loses 31-13. @kacehk https://t.co/k6HrS0Qx7H
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) November 8, 2026
“I thought we were just about to go win the game,” Leavitt said, still somewhat in shock. “It was crazy to see. We were really in the game for a long time. It got out of hand really quick. It kind of shocks you. It’s like, ‘Wow, it’s 31-13 right now.’”
That’s when it was like, wow, the stadium emptied.
“I would say it’s really a mindset thing,” Alabama defensive back Red Morgan said. “We know bad things will happen, but what we do after that is the key. It’s how we respond. In that fourth quarter, we came out and responded.”
As LSU was driving to its go-ahead points in the third quarter for the 13-10 lead, Russell was in the medical tent for an injured ankle. And backup quarter Austin Mack was warming up on the sidelines. But Russell had a miraculous recovery, completing the 57-yard pass to flip the momentum. And it never flipped back.
‘When I went into the tent, I saw a lot of our heads go down,” said Russell, who finished 17-of-24 passing for 206 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. “So, I felt like I had to keep my confidence and keep myself going. I didn’t want to see my team down, and we were in the fight together. They knew they needed me, and I trust everyone on this team. We jut all wanted to keep going.”
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said the 57-yard completion to Scott ignited his team.
“I liked the response when we were down in the third quarter,” he said. “The big play by Rico sparked us, and it was instantaneous.”
It wasn’t gone in 60 seconds, but it felt like that.
“No lull there,” DeBoer said. “And then, Ryan (Coleman-Williams) had the big return. It’s a good football team we played there. Just got to play four quarters.”
And LSU did not.
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