By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Perhaps it’s a good thing for LSU that its annual series against Alabama ends now. The Tigers could use an open season from the Crimson Tide.
No. 14 ranked and touchdown-favorite LSU lost its fourth straight game to Alabama – all by double digits – and seventh of the last eight in Tiger Stadium, 31-13, on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd of shocked, somewhat silent and dismayed 102,321 to the No. 5 Crimson Tide.
Alabama has now won 14 of its last 16 against LSU and leads the series 59-27-6, including a 31-10-2 mark in Tiger Stadium, which is basically the Tide’s own “Bama Breeze,” as Jimmy Buffett sings.
Alabama (7-2, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) stays alive in College Football Playoff contention. And No. 14 LSU (6-3, 3-3 SEC) will have to win out and get significant help if it is to reach the CFP for the first time since 2019.
And new LSU coach Lane Kiffin fell to 0-6 as a head coach against Alabama – 0-1 as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009, 0-4 as Ole Miss’ coach in four games from 2020-23 and 0-1 as the Tigers’ coach.
“It got kind of ugly there in the end,” said Kiffin, whose team led 13-10 with 2:44 left in the third quater, then got slammed 21-0 the rest of the way. “I’m disappointed in that, really disappointed for our fans.”
And those Bama-weary LSU fans may be happy not to play Alabama next season for the first time since 1963. The two teams met once in every regular season from 1964 through 2026, but Alabama and LSU are no longer permanent opponents when the SEC went from eight league games to nine a season this year. LSU and Alabama are now rotating with two games every four seasons through 2030. LSU and Alabama will next meet in 2028 and not in 2029. The new rotation starts in 2030, but schedules for that season have not been set yet.
LSU had its chances on this day – many of them – as it outgained the Tide by a whopping 457 yards to 285, but got waxed by 18 points. That was because the Tigers struggled to keep drives alive after getting deep into Alabama territory time and time again.
“It was a very unusual statistical game, yardage-wise” Kiffin said. “We went 0-for-4 on fourth downs, and we got in the red zone more than they did.”
LSU was 1-for-4 in the red zone on touchdowns, while Alabama was 4-for-4.
Kiffin’s much ballyhooed, No. 6 offense in the land managed only a field goal in the first half for his low of the season as Alabama led 10-3 at the break. The Tigers recovered with a field goal on their first possession of the third quarter and took their first lead of the game at 13-10 with 2:44 to go in the period on a 5-yard touchdown run by running back Dilin Jones.
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt completed 5 of 6 passes for 69 yards on the drive, but he got an assist by a crucial and close pass interference call against Alabama defensive back Carmelo O’Neal on fourth and five from the Alabama 37-yard line. O’Neal clearly was in contact with LSU wide receiver Jackson Harris on the play, but the call could have gone either way.
After getting a first down on the Alabama 33-yard line, Leavitt hit tight end Trey’Dez Green for 10 yards, then ran for a 7-yard gain before finding wide receiver Winnie Watkins Jr. for seven yards to a first and goal at the Alabama 9-yard line. After a 4-yard rush by Leavitt, he pitched to Jones for the touchdown.
But just like that, Alabama took back the momentum LSU had seized for only seconds. On first down from the Alabama 25, quarterback Keelon Russell threw long for wide receiver Rico Scott, who gathered it in for a 57-yard gain to the LSU 18-yard line. Four plays later, Russell hit tight end Josh Ford all by himself in the corner of the end zone, and the Tide was back up 17-13 with 36 seconds to play in the third quarter.
“We took the lead late in the third quarter of a game we didn’t play well in,” Kiffin said. “And they went right down and scored.”
And not only did Alabama keep the momentum that LSU couldn’t, it multiplied it and shoved it in LSU’s face.
Leavitt completed 35 of 47 passes for 380 yards, but those numbers shrink next to 0 touchdowns and an interception.
The Tide thwarted another LSU drive deep in Alabama’s territory at its 36-yard line on fourth and three when middle linebacker Caleb Woodson broke up a pass from Leavitt to wide receiver Jackson Harris.
After the two teams traded punts, Alabama returner Ryan Coleman-Williams returned the LSU punt 32 yards to the Tigers’ 25-yard line. Russell then hit wide receiver Cederian Morgan for a 25-yard touchdown and 24-13 lead with 9:44 to play. Russell finished 17-of-24 passing for 206 yards and a big three touchdowns.
LSU then went for it on fourth down from its own 18 with 8:05 to go, didn’t get it and Russell found tight end Kaleb Edwards for a 4-yard touchdown and 31-13 lead with 6:23 to play. And just like that, it was over.
“We were really in the game for a long time,” Leavitt said. “It got out of hand really quick. It kind of shocks you. It’s like, ‘Wow, it’s 31-13 right now.’ I thought we were just about to go win the game. It was crazy to see.”
LSU drew within 10-6 on the first possession of the third quarter on a 41-yard field goal by Scott Starzyk with 11:43 to play in the period on a 53-yard drive in 11 plays.
The Tigers trailed 10-3 at the half after putting up the lowest point total for a first half in the first season of the Kiffin era. LSU came in averaging 17 points in the first half, including 31 two weeks ago at Auburn and 21 the previous weekend against Mississippi State.
Lane Kiffin, Kevin Costner, and Shaq. Quite a trio. https://t.co/4BUhBvwIDq
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) November 7, 2026
But all LSU could muster was a field goal in front of a sold-out crowd that featured first lady Melania Trump, actor Kevin Costner, former LSU basketball greats Shaquille O’Neal and Angel Reese and former LSU pitcher Paul Skenes. Starzyk hit a 23-yard field goal with 4:48 to go in the first quarter for a 3-3 tie after a 70-yard drive in 14 plays.
LSU outgained Alabama, 209 yards to 143, and Leavitt completed 15 of 21 passes for 168 yards, while Russell hit 9 of 12 passes for 89 yards. But Leavitt threw a critical interception with 28 seconds to go in the first half as LSU faced a second and 19 at the Alabama 36-yard line.
The Tigers put up 13 first downs to only seven for the Tide, but LSU’s impressive drives ended as duds.
LSU’s field goal drive had reached a first and goal at Alabama 8-yard line, but two rushes netted three yards, and Leavitt threw incomplete on third down.
Starzyk missed a 56-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter for LSU.
The Tigers drove from their 25 to a first down at the Alabama 15 late in the second quarter. But running back Dilin Jones lost two yards on first down. After Leavitt gained eight yards, he threw behind wide receiver Eugene Wilson III for an incompletion. On fourth and goal from the Tide 9, Leaviitt’s pass to Green was knocked away by defensive back Chuck McDonald.
LSU drove 35 yards in nine plays to the Alabama 36 before Leavitt’s interception by Alabama linebacker Luke Metz. That was only one of so many missed opportunities.
“It comes down to red zone and fourth downs,” Kiffin said dejectedly. “We didn’t make any. Really disappointing end to the game. We didn’t play well, and especially in the fourth quarter of the game.”
In the end, LSU ended its annual series with Alabama a quarter early.
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