LSU football: 2018 Season High and Low Points
By Nick Knudsen
Low Point: Lost 29-0 vs. Alabama (Game 9, November 3, 2018)
No. 3 LSU entered this Top 5 clash with No.1 Alabama as a 14 point underdog and star LB Devin White serving a first-half suspension for a targeting call from the previous game, so it could be easy to look at this game and say that this type of result wasn’t completely unexpected.
However, it wasn’t far-fetched to believe that if the Tigers could keep it close in the first half, they could lean on a hostile Death Valley crowd for a Saturday night upset.
Bama opened the game on an 11 play drive that made it as far as the LSU 14, and after they self-destructed due multiple penalties and an injury to QB Tua Tagovailoa, it was clear that if the Tide could get out of its own way, it would be a long night for the Tigers.
LSU would put up the first of their 13 first downs on the night on the opening drive, punt it after a five-play drive, and watch Tagovailoa finish what he started on the first drive by completing four passes for 50 yards over five plays as the Tide jumped out to a 6-0 lead following a missed extra point.
The offense made plenty of plays for the Crimson Tide, but the real story of the night was the Alabama defense.
Burrow and the LSU offense struggled mightily. The Tigers did not seriously threaten to score until their last two drives of the game. One drive resulted in a missed field goal and the other an LB Mack Wilson interception in the end zone.
LSU finished the game with only 196 yards including 12 rushing yards on 25 attempts. To fully appreciate Alabama’s defensive dominance, let’s take a look at LSU football’s drive-by-drive summary on the night:
1ST HALF
- Drive #1: 5 plays, 10 yards, 2:12 (TOP), Punt, Tied 0-0
- Drive #2: 3 plays, 3 yards, 1:37, Punt, Alabama 6-0
- Drive #3: 6 plays, 40 yards, 1:55, Punt, Alabama 6-0
- Drive #4: 9 plays, 18 yards, 2:27, Punt, Alabama 9-0
- Drive #5: 3 plays, 1 yard, 1:45, Punt, Alabama 9-0
- Drive #6: 3 plays, 5 yards, 0:33, Punt, Alabama 16-0
2ND HALF
- Drive #7: 3 plays, 4 yards, 1:57, Punt, Alabama 16-0
- Drive #8: 5 plays, 11 yards, 2:30, Punt, Alabama 16-0
- Drive #9: 3 plays, 2 yards, 1:43, Punt, Alabama 22-0
- Drive #10: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:56, Missed Field Goal, Alabama 22-0
- Drive #11: 9 plays, 63 yards, 2:07, Interception, Alabama 29-0
Let’s breakdown LSU’s offensive performance one step further:
- 5 of 11 drives were three and out
- Four drives went over five plays
- The longest time of possession in the first nine drives – 2:30
It’s easy to see why “Sad LSU fan” became the most memorable part of this game.
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 4, 2018
I feel like LSU fans have had enough torture in this section so aside from mentioning the Tagovailoa 44 yard TD sprint that iced the game in the third quarter, we can wrap up with this fun fact: the Tigers have only been shutout four times at home since 1996:
The entire SEC has an Alabama problem, but unlike some of the SEC, LSU must confront it on an annual basis. It’s a harsh reality that is built into the job description. Coach O needs to find a way to deal with it.