In a game with playoff implications, Alabama came through in dominating fashion to beat LSU 42-13.
A balanced effort on both sides of the ball helped lead the Crimson Tide to victory. Here is the positional comparison of the two teams.
Quarterback
Alabama signal caller Jalen Milroe ran all over the Tigers. Although his passing numbers were middling — he completed 12 of 18 passes for 109 yards — his legs were the story of the game, as he rushed for a career-high 185 yards and four touchdowns a year after rushing for 155 yards and four touchdowns against the same LSU team.
“He probably had some good vibes from a year ago,” DeBoer said. “He was certainly running well tonight, wasn’t he?”
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier didn’t have the same fortune. He completed 27 of his 42 passes for 239 yards and a late touchdown but had three crucial turnovers, including two inaccurate passes that resulted in interceptions.
Running back
Milroe’s rushing performance largely overshadowed the Crimson Tide running backs. The duo of Jam Miller and Justice Haynes combined to have 21 carries for just 61 yards and a rushing touchdown. But Miller was effective in the passing game, as he led the team with five catches for 50 yards. Backup Richard Young got in on the action, as he had six carries for 27 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Due to the pass-heavy nature of the game with LSU trying to erase the big deficit, the Tiger running backs were never effectively able to get into a rhythm. Starter Caden Durham made the most of his opportunities, however, rushing eight times for 63 yards.
Receivers
It was a similar story for the Alabama receivers as it was for the LSU running backs. Ryan Williams only mustered two catches for 29 yards but did have a 22-yard carry, and Germie Bernard had his worst game so far with Alabama, with only one catch for a loss of a yard.
Wide receiver Kyren Lacy led the way for LSU, as he caught five passes for 79 yards including the team’s lone receiving touchdown. Tight end Mason Taylor chipped in four catches for 50 yards.
Offensive line
The offensive line unit stepped up massively for Alabama, as the group didn’t allow Milroe to be sacked a single time and also helped lead the team’s rushing attack to 311 yards.
“I wanna give a shout-out to the rest of the guys on the O-line,” team captain offensive guard Tyler Booker said. “We really had a great week of practice, and that showed.”
The LSU offensive line often allowed pressure, and Nussmeier continuously had to flee the pocket to escape rushers, being sacked twice. The Tigers’ rushing attack mustered up 104 yards but no scores.
Defensive line
Neither team saw much action from the defensive line. The only notable thing that happened on either side was when LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson shoved an Alabama player to the ground after the play, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty.
Linebackers
It was ultimately the linebackers who made the noise for both teams. Alabama’s duo of Jihaad Campbell and Deontae Lawson was electric, as Campbell had 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble, while Lawson had seven tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception. Justin Jefferson got in on the action, registering six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.
“We’ve been talking about it all week, we’re built for this,” Lawson said. “That was our mindset going into this game, and it showed.”
Tigers linebacker Whit Weeks had a very busy day, leading both teams with 15 tackles and recording 0.5 tackles for loss. Greg Penn III notched seven tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.
Defensive backs
Safety Bray Hubbard continues to be the surprise of the season for the Crimson Tide, recording an interception in his second straight game to go along with a pass breakup. Starting husky defender DeVonta Smith got hurt, which resulted in backup and Wake Forest transfer DaShawn Jones coming in and recording a half-sack.
LSU cornerbacks Zy Alexander and Ashton Stamps held their own against Williams and Bernard, and Alexander recorded five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss while Stamps recorded seven tackles with a pass breakup. Safety Major Burns had 0.5 tackles for loss.
Alabama will return to Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium to play Mercer on Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.
