Alabama secured a much-needed win against LSU in a playoff elimination game, walking out of Death Valley with a 42-13 win over the Tigers.
“[It was the] guys stepping up in great roles today and everyone just clicking on all cylinders,” quarterback Jalen Milroe said. “I think that’s so important as we move forward, we compliment each other from the offense, the defense and then special teams.”
Over the past two games, Alabama has been looking more like the team that won against Georgia earlier this season. Two significant changes from the game against Missouri helped it leave Baton Rouge with a big win.
The run game
Alabama started the run game early, finishing its first drive with a 39-yard touchdown run by Milroe to get on the board first.
The Crimson Tide continued to utilize the ground game and finished with 311 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Milroe made up most of both rushing categories, with 185 rushing yards and four touchdowns. This was his best rushing game of the season, recording a single-game career high in rushing yards and tying his single-game high of four rushing touchdowns.
His performance was reminiscent of last year’s game against LSU, where he finished with 155 rushing yards and logged that career-high four touchdowns on the ground.
“He’s got a superpower when it comes to running the football,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “You can see him not just be a guy that gets first downs, but finishes in the end zone.”
Since the Missouri game, there has seemed to be a resurgence of quarterback-designed runs, and it has been working. When the ground game works, it lessens the need for passes, and that could be seen in Milroe having his second-lowest number of pass attempts during a game this season.
Third-down efficiency
Although Alabama managed to move the ball efficiently and finish with a final score of 34-0 against Missouri, the Crimson Tide still only converted two of nine third downs in that game.
Against LSU, Alabama was 10 for 13 on third downs, allowing the Crimson Tide to keep its drives alive and continue moving the ball.
Alabama has struggled with third downs all season; the 10 conversions are the most in a game this year and the most since Alabama converted eight against Wisconsin.
Failed third-down conversions are drive killers and can easily contribute to a loss, as evidenced by the 24-17 loss to Tennessee in which the Crimson Tide went 3/14 on third down. If Alabama can continue to convert on third downs efficiently, then fans might start seeing similar outcomes to Saturday night’s.
