after Saturdayās lopsided loss at Alabama
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU quarterback Brandon Harris places his hands on his hips after he threw a pass under pressure that was illegally caught by offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins during Saturday's game at Alabama. Offensive tackle Vadal Alexander, left, walks off the field.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7) walks off the field after the game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won 30-16, and Fournette managed only 34 yards on 19 carries.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7) finds running tough against Alabama in the first half Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 in Tuscaloosa.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU quarterback Brandon Harris places his hands on his hips after he threw a pass under pressure that was illegally caught by offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins during Saturday's game at Alabama. Offensive tackle Vadal Alexander, left, walks off the field.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7) walks off the field after the game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won 30-16, and Fournette managed only 34 yards on 19 carries.
SCOTT RABALAIS|
SRABALAIS@THEADVOCATE.COM
Nov. 8, 2015; 12:07 a.m.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ā An appropriate Hollywood movie pairing for LSUās constantly flammable circumstances here much of Saturday night would have been āOur Brand is Crisis.ā
By the time the Crimson Tide was done with LSU, balling up so many of the Tigersā hopes and chucking them into the recycle bin, a better title turned out to be āAll is Lost.ā
Goodbye, unbeaten season. In this respect, LSU had plenty of company as top-10 unbeatens TCU and Michigan State also were knocked off.
Au revoir, control of the SEC West race: That belongs to Alabama now after this 30-16 demolition job. LSUās only shred of hope at the moment is that the Crimson Tide makes the short, trap-like trip to Mississippi State next Saturday.
Bon voyage, Leonard Fournetteās almost-insurmountable Heisman Trophy lead. Fournetteās talented toes looked like they had fallen victim to a skilled Chinese foot binder. Actually it was just Alabamaās Great Wall of China defensive line, inscrutable and impregnable. Maybe Fournette could have made a hole with a few well-placed sticks of TNT, but otherwise, no. And this game, no thanks to Fournetteās practically invisible offensive line, just opened the door to a raft of other Heisman contenders, chief among them Bama tailback Derrick Henry.
Goodbye, most likely, LSUās national championship hopes. The Tigers would need a big assist from Mississippi State or Auburn just to get back into the hunt for the SEC Championship Game. As far as being a one-loss nonconference champion that could sneak into the playoff, well, the CFP committee isnāt likely to forget the scope of this loss, made only cosmetically less gruesome with Fournetteās late touchdown following a Henry fumble.
The Tigers tried to overcome it all. Truly, they did. To deny their fate. To push back against the Crimson Tide, the totalitarian power of SEC football.
For a moment late in the first half, it looked like LSU had punched a hole in the gray, chilly clouds that hung over Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Tigers fell behind 10-0 in the second quarter. Around here, thatās the football equivalent of the black hole of Calcutta.
But fight back LSU did, evening the score at 10 late in the second, thanks not to Fournette but the appendages of quarterback Brandon Harris. He threw a beautiful 40-yard touchdown strike to Travin Dural and danced his way out of the pocket on an option keeper to set up a Trent Domingue field goal.
Momentum swung over to the LSU sideline, but only temporarily.
First came an unlikely 55-yard field goal by Alabamaās Adam Griffith just before halftime. His longest this season had been 40. Then Harris threw his first interception of the year on the first play of the second half, setting up a Henry touchdown run that erased all the good credit the Tigersā second-quarter comeback had built up, putting them back in a 10-point deficit again at 20-10.
Did LSU have another double-digit comeback in it? Not on this night. Not against that rock of Gibraltar defensive front of Alabamaās. Not with Fournette reduced to a supporting-cast member instead of the Tigersā offensive leading man.
The question all along was: Could Fournette be enough of a rammer jammer stud hammer to overcome LSUās flaws and lead the Tigers to championship glory? Maybe he still can. November is starting out to be a doozy, and there are certainly more upsets and twists and turns left in this nutty season.
But on this night, anyway, LSU didnāt look like a championship team. And it started in the trenches.
Football is at its heart a simple game. The team that blocks and tackles better typically wins. But blocking is the big key.
To this point, LSUās offensive line had been justly praised, but it couldnāt open any cracks for Fournette to wiggle through. Time and time and time again, he simply got stuffed. Thirteen of his 19 of his carries were for 1 yard or less. Thirteen. LSU was simply overwhelmed at the point of attack, and not even Fournetteās incredible talent could overcome it.
On the other side, LSUās defense played gamely but was constantly being gamed and outangled by Alabamaās offense. Then there was Henry, a tank of a runner who rumbled for a very Fournette-like 210 yards on a tireless 38 carries.
LSU has a good team. Alabama is very good ā and once again the scarecrow in the cornfield of the Tigersā dreams and aspirations.
The knee-jerk reaction will be to blame Les Miles and coordinators Cam Cameron and Kevin Steele. The truth is this game looks like it was lost on the recruiting trail, where Alabamaās stack of top-ranked classes have been just better enough than LSUās year upon year, especially it appears on the lines. How much could LSU have used Monroeās Cam Robinson at left tackle, for example?
So for now, LSU just has to take it in the teeth again, a fifth straight frustrating loss to the Crimson Tide.
With a little time and perspective, it probably wonāt seem all is lost for LSU. But right now, the Tigersā defeat is so total, itās hard to think of it as anything but.
Scott Rabalais: Itās time to bid adieu to some of LSUās dreams after Saturdayās lopsided loss at Alabama
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU quarterback Brandon Harris places his hands on his hips after he threw a pass under pressure that was illegally caught by offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins during Saturday's game at Alabama. Offensive tackle Vadal Alexander, left, walks off the field.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7) walks off the field after the game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won 30-16, and Fournette managed only 34 yards on 19 carries.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7) finds running tough against Alabama in the first half Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 in Tuscaloosa.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU quarterback Brandon Harris places his hands on his hips after he threw a pass under pressure that was illegally caught by offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins during Saturday's game at Alabama. Offensive tackle Vadal Alexander, left, walks off the field.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7) walks off the field after the game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won 30-16, and Fournette managed only 34 yards on 19 carries.
SCOTT RABALAIS|
SRABALAIS@THEADVOCATE.COM
Nov. 8, 2015; 12:07 a.m.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ā An appropriate Hollywood movie pairing for LSUās constantly flammable circumstances here much of Saturday night would have been āOur Brand is Crisis.ā
By the time the Crimson Tide was done with LSU, balling up so many of the Tigersā hopes and chucking them into the recycle bin, a better title turned out to be āAll is Lost.ā
Goodbye, unbeaten season. In this respect, LSU had plenty of company as top-10 unbeatens TCU and Michigan State also were knocked off.
Au revoir, control of the SEC West race: That belongs to Alabama now after this 30-16 demolition job. LSUās only shred of hope at the moment is that the Crimson Tide makes the short, trap-like trip to Mississippi State next Saturday.
Bon voyage, Leonard Fournetteās almost-insurmountable Heisman Trophy lead. Fournetteās talented toes looked like they had fallen victim to a skilled Chinese foot binder. Actually it was just Alabamaās Great Wall of China defensive line, inscrutable and impregnable. Maybe Fournette could have made a hole with a few well-placed sticks of TNT, but otherwise, no. And this game, no thanks to Fournetteās practically invisible offensive line, just opened the door to a raft of other Heisman contenders, chief among them Bama tailback Derrick Henry.
Goodbye, most likely, LSUās national championship hopes. The Tigers would need a big assist from Mississippi State or Auburn just to get back into the hunt for the SEC Championship Game. As far as being a one-loss nonconference champion that could sneak into the playoff, well, the CFP committee isnāt likely to forget the scope of this loss, made only cosmetically less gruesome with Fournetteās late touchdown following a Henry fumble.
The Tigers tried to overcome it all. Truly, they did. To deny their fate. To push back against the Crimson Tide, the totalitarian power of SEC football.
For a moment late in the first half, it looked like LSU had punched a hole in the gray, chilly clouds that hung over Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Tigers fell behind 10-0 in the second quarter. Around here, thatās the football equivalent of the black hole of Calcutta.
But fight back LSU did, evening the score at 10 late in the second, thanks not to Fournette but the appendages of quarterback Brandon Harris. He threw a beautiful 40-yard touchdown strike to Travin Dural and danced his way out of the pocket on an option keeper to set up a Trent Domingue field goal.
Momentum swung over to the LSU sideline, but only temporarily.
First came an unlikely 55-yard field goal by Alabamaās Adam Griffith just before halftime. His longest this season had been 40. Then Harris threw his first interception of the year on the first play of the second half, setting up a Henry touchdown run that erased all the good credit the Tigersā second-quarter comeback had built up, putting them back in a 10-point deficit again at 20-10.
Did LSU have another double-digit comeback in it? Not on this night. Not against that rock of Gibraltar defensive front of Alabamaās. Not with Fournette reduced to a supporting-cast member instead of the Tigersā offensive leading man.
The question all along was: Could Fournette be enough of a rammer jammer stud hammer to overcome LSUās flaws and lead the Tigers to championship glory? Maybe he still can. November is starting out to be a doozy, and there are certainly more upsets and twists and turns left in this nutty season.
But on this night, anyway, LSU didnāt look like a championship team. And it started in the trenches.
Football is at its heart a simple game. The team that blocks and tackles better typically wins. But blocking is the big key.
To this point, LSUās offensive line had been justly praised, but it couldnāt open any cracks for Fournette to wiggle through. Time and time and time again, he simply got stuffed. Thirteen of his 19 of his carries were for 1 yard or less. Thirteen. LSU was simply overwhelmed at the point of attack, and not even Fournetteās incredible talent could overcome it.
On the other side, LSUās defense played gamely but was constantly being gamed and outangled by Alabamaās offense. Then there was Henry, a tank of a runner who rumbled for a very Fournette-like 210 yards on a tireless 38 carries.
LSU has a good team. Alabama is very good ā and once again the scarecrow in the cornfield of the Tigersā dreams and aspirations.
The knee-jerk reaction will be to blame Les Miles and coordinators Cam Cameron and Kevin Steele. The truth is this game looks like it was lost on the recruiting trail, where Alabamaās stack of top-ranked classes have been just better enough than LSUās year upon year, especially it appears on the lines. How much could LSU have used Monroeās Cam Robinson at left tackle, for example?
So for now, LSU just has to take it in the teeth again, a fifth straight frustrating loss to the Crimson Tide.
With a little time and perspective, it probably wonāt seem all is lost for LSU. But right now, the Tigersā defeat is so total, itās hard to think of it as anything but.
Scott Rabalais: Itās time to bid adieu to some of LSUās dreams after Saturdayās lopsided loss at Alabama
