(5) Alabama Outlasts (16) LSU in Overtime

American Football Field Yard Lines IStockPhoto/ Thinkstock(BATON ROUGE, La.) — It was another battle to remember as 5th-ranked Alabama survived against 16th-rated Louisiana State (LSU), winning 20-13 in overtime at Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide (8-1) rallied twice for the win, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The Tigers (7-3) kept Alabama off the scoreboard for the entire first quarter, while taking a 7-0 lead when Anthony Jennings found Malachi Dupre for a 14-yard touchdown pass. LSU’s defense continued to be dominant until Blake Sims connected with Amari Cooper for a game-tying 23-yard score. Alabama then took the lead on a field goal with nine seconds to play before the half.

Both offenses struggled to break through in the second half with LSU tying the game on a field goal in the third quarter, the lone score of the frame. The Tigers then went up 13-10 on Colby Delahoussaye’s 39-yard field goal with 50 seconds left in regulation. With the game seemingly in hand, Delahoussaye shanked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving Alabama the ball on their own 35-yard line.

Sims then led the Crimson Tide down to LSU’s 10 before relying on Adam Griffith to send the game into overtime. Griffith converted on a 27-yard field goal and Sims hit DeAndrew White on a 6-yard fade route in overtime to take the lead. On LSU’s possession, Jennings scrambled on fourth down but his pass into the end zone was knocked to the turf.

The win, coupled with Auburn’s loss at Texas A&M, puts Alabama alone in second place in the SEC West.

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