TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- An 11-yard pass from quarterback JaMarcus Russell to wideout Dwayne Bowe secured the fifth-ranked LSU Tigers 16-13 overtime victory over No. 4 Alabama on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
With the win, the Tigers (8-1, 5-1 SEC) moved to the top of the SEC's Western Division and sit in the driver's seat heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. Alabama, which fell to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in conference play, saw a perfect season fall by the wayside in their backyard.
The win marks the third straight and fifth in the past six games for the Tigers over the Tide. LSU also extended its win streak to three-straight games in Tuscaloosa.
While the final stats suggest a relatively even battle, with LSU narrowly out-gaining the Tide, 270-272, it was a hearty second half offensive output and defensive stand that got the Tigers back into the game. Gaining just 72 yards through 30 minutes of play, LSU tacked on 158 yards through the air and another 45 on the ground in putting all of their points on the board in the second half and overtime.
Individually, Russell finished the day with 229 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-30 passing. He hit Bowe for seven receptions and a season high 98 yards.
Leading the rushing attack was junior Justin Vincent who gained 56 yards on 20 carries, including a 1-yard TD run.
The game began with LSU winning the toss and deferring to the second half. Alabama chose to receive and defend the North endzone.
Both teams were held scoreless on their first possession as the Tide drove to midfield but could not convert on third and 13 on a pass from Croyle to receiver DJ Hall. Following the Alabama punt, LSU took over on their 19-yard line. The Tigers covered just three yards in three plays and were forced into a punt situation as well.
Jackson booted the ball 36 yards as the Tide began the ensuing possession on their 42-yard line. Croyle connected with Keith Brown for a 26-yard reception to enter LSU territory on the 30. Darby added an additional yard on a rush to the left, but two incomplete passes held the Tide's first scoring opportunity of the day to 46-yard field goal attempt. Kicker Jamie Christensen could not follow through, missing wide right.
The Tigers took over on their own 29-yard but proceeded to go three and out on a pair of incomplete passes and a short rush by Addai.
Alabama regained the ball on their 22-yard line and began an 11 play, 67 yard scoring drive that resulted in a successful 28-yard field goal attempt by Christensen with 5:15 to go in the first quarter.
The Tigers then used nearly five minutes of playing time but only covered 16 yards before having to punt the ball back to Alabama just before the end of the first quarter.
Taking over possession, the Tide used a 15-yard rush by Tim Castille and 13-yard run by Jimmy Johns to move down the field. An 11-yard slant pass to Hall followed by 19-yard reception by McClain took Alabama in LSU territory. A pass interference call on the Tigers and a small gain by Darby set up the Tide's first score. Broyle connected will Hall on a pass down the middle to give Alabama the 9-0 lead. Christensen's PAT was good and finished off the 11 play, 84-yard drive.
The score remained Alabama 10, LSU 0, through the half as the Tide defense limited the Tigers to just five complete passes and 72 total yards.
Sensing what was on the line, the Tigers came out of the locker room with a new-found determination.
Taking the ball on the their 20-yard line the Tigers drove 70 yards on passes to Craig Davis and Justin Vincent and another 20 rushing yards by Vincent. The Tigers came up short on three tries before handing the ball to Vincent who punched it into the endzone for the 1-yard score on fourth-and-1. The score was the first against the Alabama defense in 15 quarters. Jackson made the PAT to bring the Tigers within three of the Tide.
Alabama could not respond in the next drive, moving the ball 11 yards before a sack by free safety LaRon Landry forced the Tide to punt on fourth and 21. Taking over on the Alabama 45, Russell quickly moved the ball down the field on a 28-yard reception to Bowe. Bowe then added an 8-yard gain, but a personal foul by Tigers brought the ball back to the Tide 32, forcing a field goal attempt.
Coming off the left hash, Jackson was successful on the 42-yard attempt, knotting up the score at 10. Jackson's field goal was the 22nd of his career and moved him into seventh on the Tigers' all-time list.
The Tiger defense then looked to have held the Alabama offense to another three-and-out possession, but an untimely holding penalty in the punt formation returned the ball to the Tide with a fresh set of downs at the 37-yard line. However, the Tiger defense would not be deterred, eventually stopping Croyle with a sack as time ran out in the third quarter.
Alabama opened the final quarter with a punt that put the Tigers down on their 12 yard-line. Russell steadily moved the Tigers down the field to Alabama 30, setting up a 46-yard field goal for Jackson. Jackson's kick had the distance but missed just to the left of the uprights with 3:52 to go in the third quarter.
The Tiger defense was stingy on the next possession and forced Alabama to punt out of their own end zone. The Tide booted the ball out of bounds at the 41-yard line. They Tigers could not take advantage of the short field and were forced to punt after three downs. Jackson pinned the Tide down to their 4-yard line where they went three and out.
The Tigers took over possession midfield on a 1-yard return by Green. LSU converted on third down and continued to the 33-yard line, once again setting up a long field goal attempt for Jackson. Needing 50 yards for the score, Jackson missed for the third time and the Tide regained possession with 24 seconds left in regulation.
The Tiger defense kept Alabama unsuccessful in securing a score despite a 40-yard gain by Glen Coffee as time expired to send the contest into overtime.
In overtime, LSU won the toss and elected to start on defense.
On the first play, Alabama's Darby gained a yard but a penalty forced them back to the 30-yard line. A 9-yard reception and 4-yard gain by Darby brought the Tide within the red zone. Pressure from the Tiger defense forced Alabama to settle for a 34-yard field goal attempt that was successful by Christensen.
Taking over on the 25, Russell completed a screen pass to Vincent that was good for a first down at the 15. The Tigers gained four yards on a reverse to Xavier Carter, before a 12-yard pass to Bowe in the middle of the end zone secured the victory.
The Tigers return to action next Saturday against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. Kickoff is slated for 6:45 p.m. from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on ESPN or ESPN2.
LSU vs. Alabama
Nov. 12, 2005 - Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Game Notes
Team Notes
1. LSU's game captains are 5 Skyler Green, 56 Kenneth Hollis, 76 Andrew Whitworth, 90 Melvin Oliver, 95 Kyle Williams and 97 Brandon Washington.
2. LSU won the toss and deferred to the second half. Alabama received the opening kickoff.
3. Tigers extending their consecutive starts' streak today were: OT Andrew Whitworth (48), FS LaRon Landry (29), DT Kyle Williams (29) and LB Cameron Vaughn (21).
4. LSU has outscored its opponents 51-6 in the first quarter since the game at Vanderbilt on Oct. 8. LSU has outscored its opponents 68-10 in the first quarter for the season and has allowed only one first-quarter touchdown (at Mississippi State).
5. Today's game marked the first time since 1959 that LSU was part of regular-season game featuring two top 5 teams. In 1959, No. 1-ranked LSU used an 89-yard punt return by Billy Cannon to beat No. 3 Ole Miss, 7-3.
6. LSU earned its first regular-season win over a top 5 team on the road since the Tigers defeated No. 5 Alabama, 17-13, in 1993.
7. LSU extended its winning streak to three games against the Crimson Tide. The Tigers have also won three straight games in Bryant-Denny Stadium, dating back to the 2001 season. LSU has now won five out of the last six meetings between the two.
8. The Tigers improved to 8-1 for the second time in the last three seasons. LSU also extended its winning streak to six straight games.
9. LSU recorded its fourth win over a ranked opponent this season. Two of the wins have come on the road, which is the most by a Tiger team since the 1987 squad won two road games against ranked teams as well.
10. The Tigers are now a perfect 4-0 on the road this season. LSU has won six straight road games, dating back to last season.
11. LSU improved to 5-2 in overtime in its history. LSU had previously owned wins in overtime against Tennessee (Sept. 30, 2000), Mississippi State (Oct. 21, 2000), Oregon State (Sept. 4, 2004 and Auburn (Oct. 22, 2005).
Miles Notes
1. Head coach Les Miles won his third game over a top 5 team. Miles had previously owned wins over No. 4 Oklahoma (2001) and No. 3 Oklahoma (2002), while serving as the head coach at Oklahoma State. It's also Miles second win over a top-5 ranked team on the road.
2. Miles also becomes the only coach in LSU history to beat Florida, Auburn and Alabama in the same season.
3. Miles' 8-1 record is the best start for a first-year LSU coach since 1935 when Bernie Moore won nine of his first 10 games.
Individual Notes
6. OT Andrew Whitworth tied an LSU record by starting his 48th straight game. He now shares the career record with Jerel Myers and Rodney Reed.
7. WR Bennie Brazell made his first career start in the game.
8. WR Craig Davis pulled in a 23-yard pass with 6:45 left in the second quarter to extend his consecutive games with a reception streak to 19 (games in which he has played).
9. RB Justin Vincent recorded his third touchdown of the season and 15th of his career with a 1-yard TD run at the 9:53 mark in the third quarter.
10. PK Chris Jackson's 42-yard field goal with 5:46 remaining in the third quarter was the 12th of his career at 40 or more yards in distance.
a. Jackson moved into sole possession of seventh place in career field goals made with his 42-yarder. He surpassed Mark Lumpkin and now has 22 career field goals made.
11. WR Dwayne Bowe's seven receptions are a season-high, eclipsing his previous best of five set twice this season.
12. Bowe pulled in his eighth touchdown reception of the season and 13th of his career on a 12-yard pass from QB JaMarcus Russell in overtime.
a. Bowe has now caught at least one touchdown is seven straight games, the longest streak by a Tiger since Michael Clayton pulled in at least one score in six straight games during the 2003 season.
b. Bowe's eight touchdowns this season move him into a tie for ninth-place on LSU's receiving touchdowns in a season.
13. QB JaMarcus Russell tossed his 12th touchdown of the season and 21st of his career tonight on a 12-yard pass to WR Dwayne Bowe in overtime.
14. With a tackle in the first half, both DT Kyle Williams and FS LaRon Landry extended their tackles in consecutive games streak. They each have now made a tackle in 35 straight games
a. Landry's sack of Brodie Croyle with 7:40 remaining in the third quarter was his first of the season and seventh of his career.
ALABAMA FOOTBALL POST GAME NOTEBOOK
The LSU Game -- Saturday, November 12, 2005 -- Bryant-Denny Stadium -- Tuscaloosa, Alabama
PREGAME: The Alabama-LSU game marks the first time in the history of Bryant-Denny Stadium that both teams are ranked in the Associated Press Top 5 ... Alabama is ranked fourth, while LSU is ranked fifth in this week's poll ... A consensus All-American and former strong safety Kevin Jackson (Dothan) brought the game ball to midfield on Saturday ... As a senior in 1996, Jackson led the SEC and ranked third nationally with seven interceptions ... He added 72 tackles, including four TFLs (-19). He had a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown in the win over Vanderbilt, which helped him earn SEC Defensive Player of the Week honor ... He also had an interception return for a touchdown against Georgia in 1995 ... Jackson finished his UA career with 12 interceptions, eighth-best in Tide history ... Alabama game captains were senior quarterback Brodie Croyle (offense), senior linebacker DeMeco Ryans (defense) and senior safety Roman Harper (special teams) ... LSU won the toss and deferred to second half ... Alabama has lost the toss in eight of 10 games this season ...
FINAL HOME GAME FOR 23 SENIORS: The LSU game marks the final home game for 23 Crimson Tide seniors ... The list includes senior defensive end Mark Anderson (Tulsa, Okla.), safety Justin Ballard (Eutaw), center Taylor Britt (Cullman), wide receiver/kick returner Brandon Brooks (Birmingham), center JB Closner (San Antonio, Texas), receiver Jake Collins (Homewood), quarterback Brodie Croyle (Rainbow City), defensive tackle Rudy Griffin (Hepzibah, Ga.), safety Roman Harper (Prattville), fullback Vic Horn (Huntsville), fullback Juke King (Theodore), defensive end Stephen Kulback (Birmingham), snapper Drew Lane (Braxton, Miss.), cornerback Anthony Madison (Thomasville), fullback Greg McLain (Heflin), receiver Matt Miller (Rainbow City), safety Charlie Peprah (Plano, Texas), linebacker Freddie Roach (Killen), linebacker DeMeco Ryans (Bessemer), right guard Mark Sanders (Ashville), kicker Ryan Saxby (Jonesboro, Ga.), kicker Jeremy Schatz (Homewood) and receiver Davis Steakley (Huntsville) ...
BAMA SUFFERS FIRST LOSS: Alabama saw its nine-game winning streak end today with a 16-13 loss to No. 5 LSU in overtime ... LSU QB JaMarcus Russell's 11-yard TD pass to Dwayne Bowe won the game for LSU in the overtime ... The Crimson Tide entered the game with the nation's third-longest winning streak behind Southern Cal and Texas ...
RANKINGS: Alabama is now 254-121-10 all-time when ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including a 234-40-4 record in the AP Top 10 ... As the No.4 ranked team in the AP poll, Alabama falls to 42-4 all-time ... The Crimson Tide had its 17-game winning streak snapped when ranked No. 4 snapped today ... The last time Alabama lost when ranked No. 4 in the AP poll was a 31-24 defeat at Nebraska in 1977 ... Alabama is now 13-28 all-time against Top 5 teams, including a 1-1 record this season ... Bama is now 5-7 all-time against the No. 5 team in the AP poll ... Coach Mike Shula is 3-9 against ranked teams in his three-year career at Alabama ... Bama is 16-22 all-time against ranked teams here in Bryant-Denny Stadium, including a 1-6 ledger against Top 5 clubs ...
ALABAMA-LSU SERIES: Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU, 43-21-5 since the first meeting in 1895 ... LSU has won six of the last 10 meetings ... The home team is 10-25-1 in the Alabama-LSU series since 1970 ... The Tigers are 9-3 against the Crimson Tide in the state of Alabama since 1982 ... LSU has won the last four meetings in Tuscaloosa ... Alabama owns a 9-7 series lead in games played in Tuscaloosa ...
OVERTIME HISTORY: Alabama is now 2-5 all-time in overtime games and has not won an overtime game since beating Florida 40-39 in Gainesville in 1999 ... UA has lost its last four overtime games ... Bama is 2-4 in SEC overtime games ... Alabama is 1-3 in overtime games in Tuscaloosa ...
BRODIE CROYLE NOTEBOOK: Alabama senior quarterback Brodie Croyle (Rainbow City) saw his 12-game winning streak come to an end today against LSU ... The loss was Croyle's first as a starter since a 37-29 loss at Hawai'i on Nov. 29, 2003 ... Croyle is now 16-10 as the Tide's starting QB ... In the loss to LSU, he completed just 19 of 40 passes for 187 yards, with one touchdown ... He was also sacked five times by the LSU defense ... For the season, Croyle has completed 170 of 283 passes for 2,157 yards, with four interceptions and 14 TDs ... With 187 passing yards today, Croyle became the first quarterback in Alabama history to throw for 2,000 yards in two different seasons ... Croyle threw for 2,303 yards as a sophomore in 2003 ... On the UA single-season charts, Croyle is third in completions (170), fourth in attempts (283) and fourth in yards (2,157) ... In his 37-game career, Croyle has completed 456 of 813 passes for exactly 6,000 passing yards, with 22 interceptions and 40 TDs ... In the loss to LSU, he became Alabama's all-time passing leader with 6,000 yards ... The previous record was 5,983 passing yards by Andrew Zow (1998-2001) ... Croyle is second with 456 career completions and is just four away from breaking Zow's career record of 459 completions ... Croyle is second all-time with 813 pass attempts and is 40 away from breaking Zow's all-time record of 852 career attempts ...
KENNETH DARBY NOTEBOOK: Alabama senior running back Kenneth Darby (Huntsville) had 21 rushing attempts for 104 yards in the loss to LSU ... Darby posted his 10th career 100-yard game today ... Alabama is 8-2 when Darby tallies 100 yards rushing and both losses have come to LSU ... Darby had 109 yards in last year's 26-10 loss to LSU at Tiger Stadium ... Darby becomes the fourth player in Alabama history to post 10 or more 100-yard rushing games ... For the season, Darby has 193 rushing attempts for 1,072 yards and three TDs ... Darby is the fourth player in Alabama history to record back-to-back 1,000 rushing yard rushing seasons ... Darby had 1,061 yards in 12 games last year as a sophomore ... He joins Johnny Musso (1970-71), Bobby Humphrey (1986-87) and Shaun Alexander (1998-99) as the only UA players to post two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons ... In his 32-game career, Darby has 445 rushing attempts for 2,319 yards and 11 TDs ... He moved into eighth place on the all-time rushing list today against LSU as he surpassed Shaud Williams (2,288) and Ricky Moore (2,270) ...
ALABAMA DEFENSE: LSU scored on its opening possession of the third quarter when Justin Vincent capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive with a one-yard run on fourth-and-goal ... Vincent's one-yard TD run was the first touchdown allowed by Alabama in 263 minutes and 54 seconds, dating back to the first quarter of the Ole Miss game on Oct. 15th ... Vincent's one-yard plunge also snapped a streak of 16 scoreless chances by Alabama opponents in the red zone ... The streak dated back to the South Carolina game on Sept. 17th ... LSU's touchdown was also the first allowed by Alabama in the third quarter this season ... Vincent's one-yard TD was just the third rushing TD against the UA defense this season ... Alabama held LSU to 46 rushing yards (33 attempts) in the loss ... Justin Vincent was the leading rusher with 56 yards (20 carries) ... UA held the SEC's seventh-leading rusher Joseph Addai to just four rushing yards on two carries in the game ... Alabama has allowed only three touchdowns in its last 24 quarters, but two of those came today in the loss to LSU ...
NOTEBOOK: Alabama did not force a turnover today for the first time since Oct. 18, 2003 at Ole Miss ... The Crimson Tide had forced at least one turnover in 25 straight games before today ... Since 2003, Alabama has forced a turnover in 29 of 34 games ... Senior center Taylor Britt (Cullman) made his first career start today for the Crimson Tide ... Britt took over for the injured JB Closner, who suffered a season-ending injury (broken leg) last week at Miss. State ... Freshman running back Jimmy Johns (Brookhaven, Miss.) lined up as quarterback on the second play of the second quarter and ran around right end for 13 yards and a first down to the Alabama 44-yard line ... Sophomore wide receiver DJ Hall (Ft. Walton Beach) caught six passes for 48 yards, including an 8-yard TD in the second quarter ... Hall's TD grab was just the second offensive
TD scored by Alabama in its last four SEC games ... UA had not scored an offensive TD in SEC play since Kenneth Darby's 48-yard TD run in the third quarter at Ole Miss on Oct. 15th ... Alabama is now 251-119-14 all-time in the month of November, including a 3-6 mark under Coach Shula ... Bama is now 7-7-1 all-time in games played on Nov. 12th ...
