D.C. Reeves
BATON ROUGE, La. - For the first time all night, silence ruled as Alabama players stormed the field. Coaches and team staff, many keeping the faith with four fingers raised in the air through a tumultuous fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium, raised their collective arms in triumph.
Alabama overcame a last-minute deficit to top LSU 20-13 in overtime on Saturday night, engulfing itself in joy and visible relief that it survived its toughest road test of the season and kept its playoff hopes alive.
"The thing I'm most proud of is the way our guys finished the game," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. "The resiliency they showed in the game, overcoming adversity in the game. We know we would have to because it's always that way here."
Trailing 13-10 and reeling after what seemed to be a game-losing fumble by T.J. Yeldon, the environment was anything but serene.
LSU fans erupted with joy when LSU took over inside Alabama's 10 . When Alabama tried to work its way back to tie down 13-10, fans collected near each front corner of the stadium and produced ear-stuffing noise unlike anything this Alabama team felt all year. Security guards danced to the music blaring from the public address system between snaps.
All the while, Alabama never showed signs of concern. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin kneeled and calmly gathered his offense together on two benches on the sideline and went over the plan.
"It's big. It shows that we can overcome adversity and do what we have to do when times are hard," Alabama quarterback Blake Sims said of the comeback, who overcame a mediocre performance to lead his team to victory. "I'm just happy for the win."
Adam Griffith's 27-yard field goal - a story of resiliency in its own right after struggling most of the season and missing from the same distance in the first half - forced overtime, and when Alabama scored and eventually ended the game, the crimson party was on.
Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart jumped on offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Offensive line coach Mario Cristobal doled out punishing high-fives.
"Rammer Jammer" poured in from the band corner. Saban's wife Terry planted a big hug on former UA standout and Indianapolis Colts running back Trent Richardson, then stopped offensive coordinator Kiffin on his way to the locker room, gave the sign of the cross and sighed.
Nick gave a big thumbs up on his jog to the locker room and voiced his pleasure with his players.
"When Coach Saban is smiling, you know we did a good job," Sims said.
The snippet of Alabama's locker room visible from the field showed players standing on tables and chairs exuberantly screaming over one another. P<> On a night when Alabama seemed primed for defeat, victory and the ensuing celebration in enemy territory was delivered by a team that showed no give-up when its back was against the wall.
"We never had any doubt," wide receiver Amari Cooper said.
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