Alabama over LSU 24-15; analysis, stats, notes & quotes from both teams

November 7, 8:35 PMAlabama Crimson Tide ExaminerVince Ferrara

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Alabama sophomore RB Mark Ingram

U. of Alabama Athletics

Third ranked Alabama held off the tough, game ninth-ranked LSU Tigers 24-15 Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. Below are my thoughts and observations from today’s game.

Click here to see the stats from the game.

Below my analysis I’ve included the press release and game notes from U. of Alabama Media Relations. In addition, you will find quotes from Nick Saban, Alabama players, Les Miles and LSU players. Be sure to sign-up for e-mail alerts, so you never miss a post on Alabama or the SEC, by selecting subscribe on my main page.

Alabama 24 LSU 15 – Vince’s View
-Alabama moves to 9-0 and wins the SEC West

-It will be Florida vs. Alabama Dec. 5 in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta

-Make no mistake about it, this was THE marquee win of the year for Alabama

-LSU isn’t perfect but still a great team that’s clearly the best team the Tide has faced this season

-The new biggest play of the year is the 73-yard TD pass to Julio Jones in the 4th qtr to put UA ahead

-Great play all around, McElroy for not getting the pass deflected, Julio for aggressively grabbing the ball, dodging a defender, staying in-bounds, out-running the defense and McElwain for recognizing that LSU CB Patrick Peterson was out of the game leaving Julio with a safety in off-coverage and jumping on the mismatch.

-I strongly disagreed with Miles’ decision to go for 2 after the 3rd qtr that put LSU ahead

-Listening to the audio of Miles, he initially said “1” then changed to “2, 2” after players and coaches in front of him turned to him saying “2”…I think Miles was talked into it and trusted his sideline

-If they kick the extra point, LSU has 16 points, Alabama then wouldn't have gone for 2 on their TD, it would have been 23-16 and LSU down just one score at the end

-Coaches make this mistake in college and pro football all the time, don’t go for 2 until the 4th qtr

-Don’t chase points, that’s such a pet peeve of mine

-Alabama was very determined to throw the ball early to establish that balance

-The Tide offense may not have had the big plays in the passing game but it was about the attempts

-Bama certainly missed on opportunities in the passing game in the first half

-The passing philosophy in the first half may have helped open up the run in the second half

-It’s a shame for LSU that they had so many injuries (Jefferson, Scott, Peterson, Riley and Woods)

-I also thought the 4th quarter near-interception replay that wasn’t overturned was a bad call

-Unfortunately, that potential game-changing missed call along with the penalty discrepancy (LSU-8, Ala-4) doesn’t help quiet the conspiracy theories that allege officiating favors Alabama and Florida

-I think those theories are nonsense

-Complaining about bad or inept officiating is one thing but crying about biased officiating is lame

-That’s so lame and typical that I now refer to that kind of stuff as FSN (Fan Spin Nonsense)

-Between the missed replay/officiating and all the LSU injuries it will likely tarnish the Bama win in the eyes of some doubters but Tide fans don't care because the win counts and Bama stays undefeated

-It won’t tarnish it for all analysts and voters because Alabama still made more plays than LSU and the defense was terrific, again

-I thought Alabama’s pass protection, other than the safety, was great and extremely important in this game

-Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson were great again, there is no better RB tandem in the country, period!

-Colin Peek tried to go but was clearly not 100% and gave way to Smelley, Dial, Williams and Huber

-Greg McElroy was much better but still missed some big throws and make some bad decisions

-Greg was flawless early until he missed a wide open Julio Jones in the endzone

-McElroy’s pick at the end of the first half was brutal

-McElroy’s TD pass on the roll-out was a great throw

-Maybe the most encouraging thing we saw from G-Mack was that he was patient in his progressions and saw the whole field

-I thought LSU schemed to take advantage of Cory Reamer who had too many missed tackles

-The resumes of Alabama, Florida and Texas were very close before the game and may slide in Bama’s favor after a win over a Top 10 team

-Alabama (9-0) is at Mississippi State (4-5) next Saturday night at 6pm

For more of my thoughts on this game and the Alabama football team, listen to the weekly sports talk show I co-host, “Bama Roll Call,” with Brett Beaird. Look for the audio of that show to be posted on my main page soon. It’s also available each week on local radio throughout the southeast, CRMSports and I Tunes. Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at vincef8@gmail.com.


No. 3 Alabama Beats No. 9 LSU, 24-15

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 3 Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC) used a dominant fourth quarter in which they outscored No. 9 LSU (7-2, 4-2 SEC) 14-0 to come from behind and beat the Tigers, 24-15, to clinch the Crimson Tide’s second consecutive SEC Western Division title.

After a first half that saw the Tigers take a 7-3 lead into the break, both teams came out firing in a wild second half that featured three lead changes.

Alabama came out scorching on the opening drive of the second half with an eight-play, 81-yard touchdown drive. Wide receiver Darius Hanks caught the final strike, a 21-yard pass from Greg McElroy to put the Tide on top, 10-7. Alabama running back Mark Ingram asserted himself on the drive, accounting for 58 of the 81 yards.

Alabama’s next drive started at its own one-yard line after a precise punt from LSU’s Derek Helton, and on third-and-nine, McElroy was called for intentional grounding in the end zone to give the Tigers a safety and cut the lead to 10-9.

With a short field on the ensuing drive, LSU pounded the ball with its running game and moved 59 yards for the go-ahead score on an eight-yard Keiland Williams run. The Tigers ran the ball on five of the six plays in the drive with the big blow coming on a 34-yard rumble by Charles Scott. LSU went for two and failed, leaving the score at 15-10.

Needing to regain momentum, Alabama turned to Ingram, who shouldered the load on the Crimson Tide’s next drive. The sophomore carried the ball on eight of Alabama’s 11 plays and gained 53 yards to set up Tiffin for a 20-yard field goal that made the score 15-13 with just more than 12 minutes left in the game.

The Alabama defense forced a three-and-out on the Tigers’ next possession, and when the Tide got the ball back, it took just one play to reclaim the lead. McElroy hooked up with Julio Jones on a wide receiver screen and Jones handled the rest, streaking down the sideline for a 73-yard touchdown. Running back Trent Richardson ran in the two-point conversion to give the Tide a 21-15 lead.

Tiffin tacked on a 40-yard field goal with 3:04 left to make it a two-possession game at 24-15 after Alabama had milked several minutes off the clock with its running game. LSU used its final timeout with 11:29 left in the fourth and was unable to stop the clock down the stretch.

A crucial play came midway through the fourth quarter when LSU was called for a running into the kicker penalty that put Alabama in a position to convert a fourth-and-inches play on an Ingram run. That play gave the Tide a chance to grind more important time off the clock. The Alabama defense dominated the fourth quarter, not allowing LSU a first down. Alabama held the ball for nearly 11 minutes in the final quarter, and the Tigers mustered only nine total yards.

Ingram posted big numbers on the ground, carrying 22 times for 144 yards. He also added five catches for 30 yards. Jones eclipsed the 100-yard receiving plateau with four catches for 102 yards. McElroy completed 19-of-34 passes for 276 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Jefferson completed 10-of-17 passes for 114 yards and a score and ran for 33 yards on seven carries before leaving the game in the second half with an injury. Scott was also hurt in the second half but managed 83 yards on 14 carries before being sidelined.

The defenses set the tone early as the Tide forced two three-and-outs to start the game, while LSU gave up yards but held when it counted to keep Alabama off the board. The Tigers managed just one first down in the first quarter, while the Crimson Tide moved into LSU territory three times but were unable to come away with any points.

LSU found a rhythm offensively at the beginning of the second quarter, moving the ball 91 yards on 13 plays capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Jefferson to Deangelo Peterson, the first time this season that the Tide didn’t score first. Jefferson kept the drive alive with a 15-yard scramble on third down and eight, and three plays later, the Tigers had a 7-0 lead. Five of LSU’s seven first half first downs came on the drive.

Alabama responded quickly after a big return from Javier Arenas gave the Tide good field position. Trent Richardson had consecutive carries for 15 yards, then McElroy found Maze on a crossing route for 12 yards to move Alabama into the red zone. The Tide settled for a 28-yard field goal from Leigh Tiffin to make the score 7-3.

Alabama had one more opportunity to score as the first half wound down when McElroy completed five straight passes in the two-minute drill to put the Tide in scoring range. However, an interception by Kelvin Sheppard at the seven-yard line with 0:29 left ended the threat, and LSU entered the locker room with a 7-3 lead. Wide receiver Marquis Maze was the Crimson Tide’s best offensive weapon in the first half, hauling in six catches for 88 yards before the break.

For the game, Alabama gained 452 yards of total offense and made 24 first downs compared to 253 total yards and 13 first downs for LSU.

Linebacker Rolando McClain led Alabama with nine tackles, and defensive end Marcel Dareus came up with two of the Tide’s three sacks. Robby Green intercepted a Jarrett Lee pass on LSU’s final drive for Alabama’s only forced turnover of the game.

Alabama goes on the road to face another SEC West foe in Mississippi State next Saturday, Nov. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central Time with coverage on ESPN or ESPN2.
—UA—

POST-GAME NOTES
ALABAMA vs. LSU
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009 – BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM (92,012), TUSCALOOSA, ALA.

SEC WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Alabama's 24-15 victory over LSU clinched Alabama's second consecutive SEC Western Division championship. The victory secures a berth in the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship Game in Atlanta, scheduled for Saturday, December 5, with kickoff slated for 3 p.m. Central Time. CBS will televise the SEC Championship Game to a national audience. The Western Division Championship by Alabama is the Crimson Tide's seventh since expansion created the divisional format in 1992. Alabama also won division titles in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2008.

ALABAMA-LSU SERIES
With the 24-15 victory, Alabama leads the all-time series 45-23-5. The win on Saturday was Alabama’s first win over LSU in Tuscaloosa since 1999. Alabama now has a 9-8 series lead in Tuscaloosa, while the Tide holds a 25-8-2 edge in Baton Rouge.

FIRST CONSECUTIVE 9-0 STARTS SINCE 1973-74
The victory over LSU moves Alabama to 9-0 for the season and, along with a 12-0 start in 2008, this marks the first time since the 1973 and 1974 seasons that Alabama has constructed 9-0 starts in consecutive seasons. Alabama, which finished 12-2 in 2008, finished 11-1 in both 1973 and 1974 as they won 11 straight games prior to losing bowl games in those seasons, the Sugar Bowl vs. Notre Dame (24-23 in 1973) and the Orange Bowl vs. Notre Dame (13-11 in 1974).

ALABAMA IMPROVES TO 2-5 IN SABAN ERA WHEN TRAILING AT THE HALF
*Alabama trailed at halftime, 7-3, marking only the second time this year that the Crimson Tide has trailed at the break, the first time since the season opener against Virginia Tech on September 5 when the Hokies held a 17-16 lead at intermission. The Crimson Tide is 2-5 under Saban when trailing at halftime. Before the win over LSU, the only previous win of the Saban Era when trailing at the half came in the 34-24 win over No. 7 Virginia Tech in the 2009 season opener in Atlanta. Conversely, the Crimson Tide is 25-1 when leading at halftime under Saban, including a 19-game winning streak. The only loss with a halftime lead came against LSU during the 2007 season when UA held a 20-17 halftime lead before losing, 41-34, on Nov. 3, 2007, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide is 1-2 when tied at halftime under Saban. The lone win when tied at halftime came last year at LSU.

OTHER NOTES
*The safety scored by LSU on a quarterback sack with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter is the first allowed by Alabama since October 18, 2003, at Mississippi.

*Alabama has outscored opponents 56-20 in the first quarter and 142-53 in the first half this season.

*LSU’s touchdown pass of 12 yards from Jordan Jefferson to Deangelo Peterson with 9:12 remaining in the second quarter was the first touchdown allowed by the Alabama defense in the first half of a game in six games dating back to the Florida International game on September 12.

*The 7-0 deficit faced by Alabama in the second quarter marked the first time Alabama has trailed in a game since the second quarter of the Florida International game on September 12, when FIU led Alabama 14-13. In that game, Alabama trailed for only 2:09 before regaining the lead on a run by Mark Ingram with 8:20 left in the second quarter. The Crimson Tide trailed LSU until 11:40 remained in the third quarter when Darius Hanks caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Greg McElroy to give Alabama a 10-7 lead.

*LSU scored first, marking the first time this season that Alabama has not scored first in a game and the first time since the 2009 Sugar Bowl vs. Utah that an opponent has taken the initial lead of the game.

*Alabama and LSU were scoreless in the first quarter. The Alabama defense has not allowed a touchdown in the first quarter in the last six games dating back to the FIU game (7 in 1Q and 14 in 1st half). Alabama has not allowed a point in opening quarter of its last four games.

*Alabama trailed for 12:52 against LSU (for the final 9:12 of the first half and the first 3:40 of the second half). This season, Alabama has trailed a total of 42:40 of play. Alabama trailed 27:39 of the Virginia Tech game, 2:09 of the FIU game, from 9:12 of the second quarter until 11:40 remained in the third period against LSU.

*Alabama was held to only three points in the first half by LSU, the fewest points in the first half by Alabama since the Crimson Tide was held scoreless (0-0) at half against Florida State on Sep 29, 2007 at Jacksonville, Fla., in a game the Tide eventually lost, 21-14.

OFFENSE NOTES

100-YARD RUSHERS AND RECEIVERS
Alabama had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver against LSU, the sixth 100-yard rusher and second 100-yard receiver this season. In the third season under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama has had 16 100-yard performances and the Tide has gone 15-1 in those 16 games. Four different Alabama players have rushed for 100 yards during the last three seasons. Under Saban, Alabama has had eight 100-yard receiving performances and the Tide has gone 7-1 in those games. The LSU game marked the fourth time under Saban that Alabama has had a 100-yard rusher and receiver in the same game.
100-Yard Rushers in the Saban Era (15 wins, 1 loss)
246 by Mark Ingram vs. South Carolina (Oct. 17, 2009) W
218 by Glen Coffee vs. Kentucky (Oct. 4, 2008) W
173 by Terry Grant at Vanderbilt (Sept. 8, 2007) W
172 by Mark Ingram at Mississippi (Oct. 10, 2009) W
162 by Glen Coffee at Arkansas (Sept. 20, 2008) W
150 by Mark Ingram vs. Virginia Tech (Sept. 5, 2009) W
144 by Mark Ingram vs. LSU (Nov. 7, 2009) W
144 by Glen Coffee vs. Auburn (Nov. 29, 2008) W
140 by Mark Ingram at Kentucky (Oct. 3, 2009) W
134 by Terry Grant vs. Western Carolina (Sept. 1, 2007) W
126 by Glen Coffee at LSU (Nov. 8, 2008) W
121 by Glen Coffee vs. Houston (Oct. 6, 2007) W
118 by Trent Richardson vs. FIU (Sept. 12, 2009) W
113 by Mark Ingram vs. Arkansas State (Nov. 1, 2008) W
112 by Glen Coffee vs. Florida (Dec. 6, 2008) (SEC) L
104 by Terry Grant vs. Tennessee (Oct. 20, 2007) W

RB MARK INGRAM
With 144 yards rushing against LSU, sophomore running back Mark Ingram has rushed for 1,148 yards and eight touchdowns this season for a 127.6-yards per game average. Ingram has 24 receptions for 216 yards and three scores. Below is a look at Ingram’s season on a game-by-game basis.
Mark Ingram 2009 Game-By-Game
RUSHING RECEIVING
Game Att. Yards TD Rec. Yards TD All-Purpose
vs. Virginia Tech 26 150 1 3 35 1 185
Florida Int’l 10 56 1 4 47 0 103
North Texas 8 91 1 3 38 1 129
Arkansas 17 50 1 3 21 1 71
at Kentucky 22 140 2 1 6 0 146
at Mississippi 28 172 1 3 16 0 188
South Carolina 24 246 1 2 23 0 269
Tennessee 18 99 0 0 0 0 99
LSU 22 144 0 5 30 0 174
Totals 175 1148 8 24 216 3 1364

INGRAM AT HIS BEST AGAINST THE BEST
Mark Ingram has been at his best against the best in 2009. The sophomore has accounted for 712 yards on the ground (178.0 ypg.) with three rushing touchdowns in four games against opponents ranked in the Top 25 at game time. He has also caught 13 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown to account for 816 all-purpose yards (209.0 ypg) in those four contests.
Ingram vs. Ranked Opponents in 2009
RUSHING RECEIVING
Game Att. Yards TD Rec. Yards TD All-Purpose
vs. Virginia Tech 26 150 1 3 35 1 185
at Mississippi 28 172 1 3 16 0 188
South Carolina 24 246 1 2 23 0 269
LSU 22 144 0 5 30 0 174
Totals 100 712 3 13 104 1 816

INGRAM ON ALABAMA’S SINGLE-SEASON RUSHING LIST
Sophomore running back Mark Ingram, who entered the LSU game with 1,004 yards rushing this season, rushed for 144 yards against the Tigers, giving him 1,148 rushing yards this season. With his totals versus LSU, Ingram moved into ninth place on the Alabama single-season rushing list (see below).
Alabama’s 1,000-Yard Rushing Seasons
Yards Player (Attempts) Year
1,471 Bobby Humphrey (236 att.) 1986
1,383 Shaun Alexander (302 att.) 1999
1,383 Glen Coffee (233 att.) 2008
1,367 Shaud Williams (280 att.) 2003
1,341 Sherman Williams (291 att.) 1994
1,255 Bobby Humphrey (238 att.) 1987
1,242 Kenneth Darby (239 att.) 2005
1,178 Shaun Alexander (258 att.) 1998
1,148 Mark Ingram (154 att.) 2009
1,137 Johnny Musso (226 att.) 1970

WR JULIO JONES
*Sophomore wide receiver Julio Jones took a short pass 73 yards for a touchdown with 10:24 remaining in the fourth quarter to give Alabama a 19-15 lead that was extended to 21-15 on a two-point conversion run by Trent Richardson. Jones’ catch-and-run was his longest this season and the longest of his Alabama career. Jones’ previous longest reception was a 64-yard play against Florida in the 2008 SEC Championship Game at Atlanta. Jones finished the game with four catches for 102 yards.
*Jones eclipsed 100 receiving yards for the fourth time in his Alabama career. That ties the sophomore for fifth all-time at Alabama in career 100-yard games. Below is a list of Alabama’s career leaders in 100-yard games for receiving.
Career 100-Yard Receiving Performances
13 D.J. Hall (2004-07)
6 Ozzie Newsome (1974-76)
5 David Bailey (1969-71)
5 Dennis Homan (1965-67)
4 Julio Jones (2008-Present)
4 Freddie Milons (1998-2001)
4 Wayne Wheeler (1971-73)
4 David Palmer (1991-93)

WR MARQUIS MAZE
Receiver Marquise Maze caught 6 passes for 88 yards – all in the first half – to set a new single-game career high for receptions while tying his single-game high for receiving yardage. His previous single-game high of 4 catches occurred three times previously: vs. Tulane in 2008, vs. North Texas in 2009 and at Mississippi in 2009. His previous yardage high was an 88-yard effort on only 2 catches against Arkansas.

DEFENSE NOTES
*Alabama allowed 253 yards of total offense against LSU.
2009 Alabama Defense Game-by-Game
Opponent Total Offense Rushing Passing
Virginia Tech 155 64 91
Florida Int’l 214 1 213
North Texas 187 61 126
Arkansas 254 63 191
Mississippi 197 57 140
South Carolina 278 64 214
Tennessee 318 63 255
LSU 253 95 158
*By holding LSU to 95 rushing yards, Alabama’s defense over the past 23 games – or two seasons – has held 20 teams under 100 yards rushing as only LSU and Florida in 2008 and Kentucky in 2009 have been able to crack the 100-yard barrier as a team. In 2009, only Kentucky has managed more than 72 yards rushing on the Tide. UA has surrendered just 1,654 yards on the ground in the last 23 games, an average of 71.9 yards per game.
*No running back has cracked the 100-yard mark since Mississippi’s BenJarvus Green-Ellis went for 131 on Oct. 13, 2007, a span of 27 games.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
K LEIGH TIFFIN
*Senior placekicker Leigh Tiffin made three field goals and two extra points to give him 348 career points to set a new Alabama career scoring record – breaking Phillip Doyle’s previous school record of 345 points accomplished from 1987-90.
*Tiffin’s field goals give him 76 career field goals, second all-time at Alabama, just two shy of the school record held by Philip Doyle (78 from 1987-90).
*Tiffin has made 23-of-26 field goal attempts this season, moving him into third on the Alabama single-season field goals list. Tiffin is closing in on his own record of 25 field goals made, a record he set in 2008 when he made 25 of 34 attempts. Philip Doyle is second on the list with 24 (in 29 attempts) in 1990.
*Tiffin has scored 95 points this season via field goals or extra-point conversions. That ranks sixth on the Alabama single-season list for kicking points.
Points Player (FGs, PATs) Year
111 Leigh Tiffin (25 FGs, 36 PATs) 2007
106 Leigh Tiffin (20 FGs, 46 PATs) 2008
100 Philip Doyle (22 FGs, 34 PATs) 1989
97 Philip Doyle (24 FGs, 25 PATs) 1990
97 Michael Proctor (22 FGs, 31 PATs) 1993
95 Leigh Tiffin (23 FGs, 26 PATs) 2009
94 Michael Proctor (19FGs, 37 PATs) 1992

HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
*Saban has compiled a 28-8 (.777) record in his career with the Tide and the 28 wins rank as the fourth-most for any Crimson Tide head football coach after 36 games. Wallace Wade holds the record for most wins after 36 games with 32 victories. Frank Thomas is second with 31wins in 36 games while Gene Stallings ranks third with 30. Below are the most wins by UA coaches after the first 36 career games.
Most Wins (After 36 Games)
Wallace Wade 32
Frank Thomas 31
Gene Stallings 30
Nick Saban 28
Xen Scott 26
Paul Bryant 24

SABAN VS. LSU
Alabama head coach Nick Saban is 2-2 in his career against LSU with Saturday’s win, following last year’s 27-21 overtime win in Tiger Stadium and a 41-34 loss in 2007. A Saban-coached Michigan State team also lost, 46-25, to the Tigers while Saban was head coach at Michigan State in the 1995 Independence Bowl in Shreveport. Saban was the head coach at LSU from 2000-04 and compiled a 48-16 (.750) record, leading the Tigers to the 2003 BCS National Championship and two SEC Championships during his tenure. In 2003, Saban led the Tigers to a 13-1 record and a 21-14 win over Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game played at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La.
-UA-

Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban
Opening Statement:
“Well this was a great team win against a very tremendous team. There were great competitors on that field tonight. I can’t tell you how proud I am of our guys and the relentless competitive attitude that we played with in the game. We wanted to play our best game today. We kind of knew that our destiny was ours in terms of what we wanted to do. We knew it was about what we would do in the game.

I was extremely proud of the way the players came out in the second half especially. We played okay in the first half, we played well in the first half. We didn’t finish drives. We missed a couple of shots that we had to make plays that would turn out to give us some more points. I told the players at halftime that if we kept doing that kind of stuff, we could definitely finish those drives in the second half and make the plays we need to win the game.

Great resiliency on the competitive side for our players. I’m very, very proud of the way they competed in the game. This is a great team win. There’s not one part of the team that didn’t play well. The offense played extremely well, Greg [McElroy] played well, the receivers played well. We ran the ball. the offensive line did a fantastic job. We thought we might have a little trouble running the ball inside against those guys, but really did a good job of that in the second half.

They had tremendous balance offensively. Defensively, they went no huddle against us which got our guys a little out of sorts. That’s not something they’d done prior to.

We made some adjustments, made the plays that we needed to make and I was really pleased and proud of the way the guys competed in the game. Special teams, No. 8 [Trindon Holliday] is a great specialist, probably one of the better guys and most difficult guys in college football. I thought our special teams did a really good job in that regards. It’s a great team win and we’re so pleased and happy.

I can’t thank our fans enough. What a tremendous atmosphere to play a football game in. I think they’re part of the team too and they still have to do their part very well. I know the players certainly appreciate it, we appreciate it. It certainly has a tremendous impact on our playing games at home when you have that atmosphere in your stadium.”

On Julio Jones…
“Julio (Jones) is an outstanding player and I think probably last week, the Tennessee game, is where he looked like his old self in terms of having the juice and the burst and he played a good game tonight and a good game then. We want to continue to feature him but I’m really pleased with the way the rest of our receivers played in the game, they all made some big plays. (Darius) Hanks made a big catch, Marquis Maze made some big plays and that’s what we need. We need that kind of balance, we need the ball distributed where it’s supposed to go and I think Greg (McElroy) did a great job of that tonight.”

On going for it on fourth down…
“I had confidence in our defense and I think that makes it easier to do things like that, but when you’re inside of one yard, we’re on the 50-yard line, it was a one-score game, I felt like when it’s inside of one yard you have to confidence in your players that they can get it. I think two things, we needed a field goal to make it a two-score game and it was just all about being aggressive and we were and we made it. Those are only good decisions when they work. If they didn’t work, it would have been a horrible one.”

On the gameplan…
“There was no point of emphasis. It was the way we planned the game. We planned to spread them out and do a lot of empty backfield to throw the ball more and create balance. Then, we knew we were going to come back and try to run the ball at some point in the game and continue to create balance. I thought we did a good job on offense, and it was a little different way to play our hand, but I thought it worked effectively and hopefully surprised them a bit in the beginning and caught them off guard. We moved the ball well, changed field position a lot in the first half, but it didn’t pay off in points. I think the resiliency that the players showed in the second half in continuing to compete as the game went on helped us get more and more control of the line of scrimmage and more control of the game.”

On the offensive tactics…
“I think that’s how we want to play offense here. I think it’s important that we utilize players and we attack the middle of the field to make them defend the middle of the field, and you have to have some kind of vertical passing game to do that. Even when you don’t hit them, and we hit a few, it affects how they play on the next play because I work with those corners all the time and whether they caught it or not, they know when they got beat, and it still scares them.”

ALABAMA PLAYER QUOTES

Senior Defensive Back Javier Arenas
On the play of the defense
“They gave us a scheme that we weren’t used to, but that is what happens when you play one of the better teams in the country. I think we did well collectively, but there are definitely things that we need to work on. It was a good win and a confidence booster.”

On getting behind the line of scrimmage and making big plays:
“I am excited about making those plays and being aggressive. It is great scheming by our coaching staff and we have just been able to execute when our number is called.”

On the importance of the field position battle:
“I think it is real important. When you are able to give your offense a short field and gain momentum, it can really make a difference in the outcome. On the other side, when P.J. (Fitzgerald) nails them down deep, it really gives a boost to our defense.”

Sophomore Wide Receiver Julio Jones
On the wide receivers getting involved early:
“We were just able to take what the defense gave us. If things open up for our running game, we are going to run and the same goes for the passing game. As a whole, we did a good job, but we still have a lot of room for improvement.”

On the touchdown:
“I expect to make those plays. We had a good game plan going in and it was able to open some things up for us out wide and I was just able to make a play.”

Senior Placekicker Leigh Tiffin
On the role of the special teams:
“It is always important, especially in SEC play because defenses are so good. I think it has been a real key for us to be able to win because we are able to get some points when we need them.”

On breaking records and helping the team win:
“All that has been a by-product of us doing our job. I don’t ever worry about it. Those kinds of things take care of themselves. I just try and go out there and do my job.”

Sophomore Marquis Maze
On the play of the offense tonight:
“We’ve been practicing hard all week for this game. We saw that we could beat them in the passing game, but they (LSU) played a heck of a game. We just came out and executed and did what we were supposed to do. We all made the plays we were supposed to make. Our offensive line did a heck of a job. They held their own against a good defensive line.”

Sophomore Mark Ingram
On the variety in playmakers in the game:
“We had a great game plan coming into today. We wanted to spread the ball out and get it into everybody’s hands. It was great to see different guys making big plays today.”

On the offensive line:
“The offensive line did a great job today. I’m so proud of them. They get better and better every week. This was a big one for our team, probably the biggest one of the year. We’ve just got to keep getting better and keep winning.”

Sophomore Mark Barron
On the defense:
“Overall, we did well. I don’t think we played our best game, but we did enough to win. LSU’s offense did a couple of things we weren’t prepared for, so we had to make some adjustments as the game went on. I feel like we did a pretty good job of that.”

On today’s crowd atmosphere:
“It is always good to have the fans behind you. They’re part of the game also because they can mess up the opposing team’s offense with them not being able to hear play calls. The fans played a pretty big role in this win.”
-UA-

LSU Head Coach Les Miles
Opening Statement:
“I told my team I was proud of them, how hard they fought, how hard they played and that they had a lot of promise. Our football team played awfully well. They played hard at times. Congratulations to Alabama. They’re a fine football team. They played extremely well. I understand what happened, I’m just unhappy with the outcome. A couple guys of ours are nicked up. It happens. We’ll regroup and fight again.”

On which injury had the greatest impact on his team:
“I think there are a few that are serious, and I think that [Charles] Scott certainly is probably the most serious. On the game, I still thought [Stevan] Ridley would come in and played well. Certainly he did. I thought our quarterback, [Jarrett ] Lee, would come in. He’s got plenty of experience – understands the game certainly. I thought he’d come in and play. I still like our chances, to be honest with you, injuries or not. No excuses.”

On the play of Jordan Jefferson before he sustained an injury:
“I thought he was playing really well. I like everything about that quarterback. He’s got to get better and there are things that he needs to do better, and he will.”

On how badly Jefferson is hurt:
“Not serious is all I can tell you. He was trying to get back in the game. We felt like it would be best that he sit.”

On what happened to the defense during Julio Jones’ 73 yard touchdown reception:
“I do not know. I can only tell you that was certainly a big play in this game.”

On Mark Ingram’s second half performance:
“I think he’s a good back. He plays toughly in games, something that we’d understand. I think given a similar situation we’d have run the football better late in the game as well.”

LSU Player Quotes

Wide Receiver Terrance Tolliver
On the impact of losing both RB Charles Scott and QB Jordan Jefferson to injury during the game:
“We rely on leadership from those guys. Jarrett (Lee) came in and played well though. They [Alabama] are a very good defense and a very good team. Losing those two guys was a big blow to our offense. It was a letdown to lose both of them, but like I said, Jarrett came in and played hard. Steven Ridley came in and scored a big touchdown, but we just didn’t finish.”

On the emotions in the locker room after the game:
“It was very hard on us emotionally. We wanted to win the game, but just fell short. We just have to come back next week and try to get another victory.”

Linebacker Harry Coleman
On if he thought CB Patrick Peterson intercepted the ball in the fourth quarter:
“The play happened really fast, but we all thought he got his foot down. It looked like there was a mark where he dragged his foot, but apparently not. It was a tough game. We fought hard, so it is a tough loss.”

On letting Alabama convert on third down after Peterson’s near interception:
“It was just a missed tackle on my part. It was a great call by (Defensive Coordinator) Coach Chavis, but I just missed the tackle.”

LSU Quarterback Jarrett Lee
On what was going through his mind on the last possession:
“We just wanted to try to get down there and score and get back in the ballgame. Unfortunately we didn’t do that. I should have had some better reads on that, but we just have to keep our heads up. They’re a great football club and we just need to keep our heads held high.”

On conversing with Jordan Jefferson in between possessions:
“Me and Jordan always talk to each other. I think that only benefits you as a quarterback when you talk to someone who can see things from off the field and when you’re on the field to come off and help each other out. We do just that and we’ve been doing that ever since we have been here. You just have to help each other out.”

On the change in momentum after Julio Jones’ 73-yard touchdown:
“We knew that it is just part of football. Big plays are going to happen and you have to come back and respond. Of course things didn’t go our way. I made some bad reads and some bad throws, but that is just part of football.”

On his reaction after learning Jordan Jefferson was coming out of the game due to injury:
“That’s really just part of football. Injuries are going to happen. It is just unfortunate that happened to him. He was playing a good ballgame. He had to come out and I got warmed up, came in and kept my chin up and tried to play positive football.”

LSU Linebacker Kelvin Sheppard
On Julio Jones’ 73-yard touchdown play:
“That was definitely the turning point in the game. He’s a great player who made a great play. Alabama pinned the corner down when he hit the sideline and we just couldn’t catch him.”

On the mental effect of the play:
“It was tough. The whole game we were bending a little bit, but we never broke until that play. Julio did a tremendous job when he hit the sideline. You’re just not going to catch him.”

On the feelings after losing a hard fought game to Alabama:
“Anytime you lose it’s bad, but when you lose in a big time game like this, when we knew we had it, we were right there. We knew we had to pull away. We needed to make a lot of adjustments on different plays. Alabama had a great scheme coming in, in the first half they had a hard time establishing the run, but in the second half they did a really good job moving the ball. They have two great running backs and they did a great job.”

LSU Quarterback Jordan Jefferson:
On his injury:
“I sprained my ankle on one play and I had to come out of the game. I really couldn’t drop back to pass, so I had to come out for the rest of the game.”

On having to watch the rest of the game from the sideline:
“It was devastating to your watch team try as hard as they can to put points on the board and I’m not able to help them. It is just devastating having to watch that from the sidelines.

On the disappointment of losing to Alabama:
“It was very disappointing. We feel like we could have come out with a win, but Alabama played a good game and we tried as hard as we could to come out with a victory and they just got on top of us.”