Baton Rouge, La— Jalen Milroe sprinted through the south end zone of LSU’s Tiger Stadium, arms raised high, before leaping into a throng of ecstatic crimson-clad fans gathered near the visitors’ locker room. It was yet another celebration following an impressive performance that keeps No. 11 Alabama in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth.
Milroe delivered a standout performance, rushing for a career-high 185 yards and scoring four touchdowns, leading the Crimson Tide to a decisive 42-13 victory over 14th-ranked LSU on a rainy Saturday night.
“I’m really excited about a game like this because we were able to come into a challenging environment and secure a victory,” Milroe said. “Tonight showed what we can achieve when both the offense and defense are firing on all cylinders.”
Milroe’s fourth touchdown was also his longest of the night, a spectacular 72-yard run that extended Alabama’s lead to 29 points early in the fourth quarter during a crucial game for both teams’ postseason aspirations.
“This was our most complete game of the season,” said Alabama’s first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. “We stayed focused and executed play after play in a tough environment.”
While Alabama’s win solidifies its position for a potential CFP spot, LSU (6-3, 3-2) finds itself on the brink, suffering its third loss of the season and second consecutive defeat by 15 points or more.
“We’re disappointed with our performance,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said. “We didn’t meet the standards of LSU football, and that matters to us more than the playoffs.”
Milroe’s scoring runs covered 39, 10, and 19 yards, surpassing his previous personal best of 155 yards and four rushing touchdowns from last year’s matchup against LSU, which Alabama won 42-28 in Tuscaloosa.
“He has a remarkable ability when it comes to running the football,” DeBoer noted. “He doesn’t just get first downs; he finds the end zone. His early success set the tone for the game.”
Milroe faced an LSU defense that had an extra week to prepare after a bye but struggled to contain him, especially after Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed had exploited their defense in their previous outing.
“If you’re watching the game, you might wonder what we worked on for those two weeks,” Kelly remarked. “We had a plan to contain the quarterback, and we need to address these issues, as it’s been a recurring problem.”
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier continued to struggle with turnovers for the second straight week, with a first-half fumble leading to Milroe’s second touchdown. In the third quarter, Nussmeier was intercepted at Alabama’s goal line by Deontae Lawson when the Tigers could have narrowed the deficit. The struggling quarterback, who did not speak to reporters after the game, recorded a total of six turnovers over his last two outings.
“We couldn’t overcome the multitude of mistakes we made tonight; that’s just the reality,” Kelly stated. “The game unraveled when we kept putting ourselves in tough positions.”
Milroe also contributed in the passing game, throwing for 109 yards without a turnover.
Alabama added rushing touchdowns from Justice Hayes, who scored from 1 yard out in the first half, and Richard Young, who added an 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Just before kickoff, a Bengal tiger was paraded onto the field in a move that excited some fans but drew criticism from animal rights activists, following a request from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. LSU had discontinued this pre-game tradition in 2015, but Landry arranged for another tiger to be brought in from Florida.
Alabama took control early in the game, with Milroe scoring on a 39-yard run to put the Tide ahead for good. After his second touchdown extended Alabama’s lead to 21-6 late in the second quarter, LSU attempted to generate some momentum before halftime but faltered at midfield, heading to the locker room to a chorus of boos.
Takeaways:
Alabama: The Crimson Tide’s dominance had fans leaving early, with the score standing at 28-6 by the end of the third quarter. Alabama outgained LSU 420 yards to 343 and held possession for 33:55. The Tide has now won 12 of the last 14 matchups against LSU.
LSU With Nussmeier’s turnover woes and the defense’s ongoing struggles against mobile quarterbacks, LSU’s season has spiraled since the second half of their previous game, a 38-23 loss to Texas A&M.
Up Next: Alabama will play Mercer next Saturday at home.
