LSU-Alabama preview
LSU left tackle K.J. Malone will be making his first start against an Alabama football team this Saturday in Tiger Stadium (7 p.m. Central/CBS).
Malone, who will be matched up primarily against end Jonathan Allen, made a quick assessment of the Crimson Tide defense.
“Alabama has one of the best defensive lines in the country,” Malone said. “They are football smart and physical. They know the game well and they know every technique. Alabama is great at getting to the quarterback.”
LSU has lost five consecutive games to Alabama and coach Nick Saban. Statistics in those five games indicate there are two areas in which the Crimson Tide dominated the Tigers. Both involve the Alabama defensive front.
The Tigers have never averaged more than 3.3 yards per rushing attempt in any of the five games. In fact, LSU has averaged fewer than three yards per carry in four of the games. By comparison, the Tide has averaged more than 4.3 yards per attempt in all but one of the five games.
The other number is the sack totals. Alabama has sacked Tigers quarterbacks 15 times in the five games. LSU has registered only eight sacks in the five games.
All of the other statistics are fairly even. In the five games, the Tigers have committed six turnovers, while the Crimson Tide has made four turnovers. LSU has converted a higher percentage of third-down plays – 40 percent to 35 percent. What happens up front when the Tigers have the ball is important.
SEVEN QUICK NOTES ABOUT LSU
1. The Tigers have won only nine of the 37 games played against Alabama in Baton Rouge. There have been two ties. The Crimson Tide had a 15-game unbeaten streak in Tiger Stadium which ended in 2000. That year, the Nick Saban-coached LSU team defeated Alabama 30-28.
2. The Tigers defense has allowed just two first-quarter touchdowns and a total of 20 points in the first quarter. LSU didn’t give up a first-quarter touchdown until the Southern Mississippi game. Ole Miss also scored a first quarter touchdown against the Tigers. LSU’s defense has given up only eight touchdowns – the fewest in the country.
3. ESPN College GameDay will be on the LSU campus for the 11th time Saturday. The Tigers have a 6-4 record in the previous ten games. GameDay has been in Baton Rouge for three previous Alabama games. LSU has lost those three games – 26-0 in 1996, 27-21 in 2008 and 21-17 in 2012. GameDay was last at LSU in 2014 when the Tigers beat Ole Miss 10-7.
4. LSU had a 200-yard rusher and a 200-yard passer for just the third time in school history against Ole Miss. Leonard Fournette ran for 284 yards and Danny Etling passed for 204 yards in that game. In the 1998 Alabama game, Kevin Faulk rushed for 201 yards and Herb Tyler passed for 214 yards. In last season’s Texas Bowl against Texas Tech, Fournette ran for 212 yards and Brandon Harris threw for 261 yards.
5. Ed Orgeron is the first LSU coach in modern-day school history to win each of his first three games by at least ten points. The average margin of victory for the Tigers in those three games is 29 points. In those three games, LSU has outscored its opponents 73-7 in the second quarter.
6. Arden Key is No. 1 in the nation in sacks per game at 1.14. Key has been credited with eight sacks in seven games. Key has registered a sack in six of LSU’s seven games. Key needs four sacks to tie LSU’s single-season record. Oliver Lawrence has the record with 12 sacks in 1989. Key is No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference in forced fumbles with three.
7. Even though he had none against Ole Miss, center Ethan Pocic leads Tigers offensive linemen with 42 knockdown blocks for the season. Left tackle K.J. Malone is second in knockdown blocks with 36. No LSU offensive lineman has allowed two sacks this year. Both right guard Josh Boutte and right tackle Maea Teuhema have allowed 1½ sacks.
SEVEN QUICK NOTES ABOUT ALABAMA
1. Only one of the Crimson Tide’s eight victories has been by a margin of less than 19 points – 48-43 against Ole Miss. Only the Rebels and Arkansas (30) have scored more than 14 points against Alabama. The Tide’s lowest point total came in its 33-14 victory against Texas A&M.
2. Alabama’s 20-game winning streak is the fourth longest in school. The Crimson Tide won 29 straight games – its longest streak – on two occasions. LSU ended one of the two Alabama 29-game winning streaks in 1993. The Tigers upset the Crimson Tide 17-13 in Tuscaloosa.
3. Alabama has won 12 straight games against ranked opponents – the longest such streak in 11 seasons. Southern California beat 16 consecutive ranked teams from 2002 through 2005. The winning streak started when the Crimson Tide beat Georgia 38-10 last year. Seven of the 12 victories have come against top-ten teams.
4. Much publicity has surrounded the fact that Alabama has 12 non-offensive touchdowns in 2016. Three players have multiple touchdowns – Eddie Jackson with two punt returns and one interception return, Jonathan Allen with two fumble returns and Ronnie Harrison with one fumble return and one interception return. In coach Nick Saban’s ten years, the Crimson Tide has 58 non-offensive touchdowns – 23 coming on pass interceptions. Alabama had 10 non-offensive touchdowns last season.
5. Defensive end Jonathan Allen is mentioned as a major Heisman Trophy candidate. The last lineman who was a Heisman Trophy finalist was Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh in 2009. Through eight games that season, Suh had 49 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, nine quarterback-hurries, five sacks and no touchdowns. So far this year in eight games, Allen has 35 tackles, 6½ tackles-for-loss, ten quarterback-hurries, six sacks and two touchdowns on fumble returns.
6. Jalen Hurts has rushed for 521 yards in the first eight games. Only five Crimson Tide quarterbacks have rushed for more yardage in a single season. Hurts’ rushing total is the highest for an Alabama quarterback since Tyler Watts gained 564 yards on the ground in 2001. The single-season rushing record for a Tide quarterback is held by Steadman Shealy, who had 791 yards in 1979.
7. Saban has a 7-4 record against LSU in his coaching career. Saban’s 1995 Michigan State team lost 45-26 to the Tigers in the Independence Bowl. Saban has won seven of ten meetings with LSU since he went to Alabama. Six of those ten games have been decided by seven points or less. The two teams have split those six contests.
PREDICTION
LSU will bring its ‘A’ game to Tiger Stadium on Saturday. However, coach Nick Saban will have his Alabama team ready. Saban always considers the Tigers to be equal to the task when matching the physicality of his team. That’s the reason the Crimson Tide is always prepared mentally to face LSU. The X-factor in this game is Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Tigers defense will slow Hurts down when he tries to run the football. However, there may be a couple of occasions where Hurts hits big passes against the LSU secondary. Little has been said about the Tide’s two kickers. Field goal kicker Adam Griffith will play a key role as the Tigers continually force field goal attempts in the red zone. The LSU offense cannot keep up against that very tough Tide defense.
Alabama 26, LSU 17
TEAM STATS COMPARISON
LSU points per game: 29.9
Alabama opponents’ points per game: 14.9
LSU rushing yards per game: 239.9
Alabama opponents’ rushing yards per game: 70.1
LSU passing yards per game: 183.9
Alabama opponents’ passing yards per game: 204.4
LSU total yards per game: 423.7
Alabama opponents’ total yards per game: 274.5
LSU passing completion percentage: 58.9
Alabama opponents’ pass completion percentage: 53.2
LSU sacks allowed per game: 1.6
Alabama sacks per game: 4.0
Alabama points per game: 43.9
LSU opponents’ points per game: 15.0
Alabama rushing yards per game: 268.4
LSU opponents’ rushing yards per game: 104.2
Alabama passing yards per game: 229.6
LSU opponents’ passing yards per game: 209.7
Alabama total yards per game: 498.0
LSU opponents’ total yards per game: 313.9
Alabama passing completion percentage: 63.8
LSU opponents’ pass completion percentage: 58.2
Alabama sacks allowed per game: 1.9
LSU sacks per game: 2.9
LSU turnover margin: -1
Alabama turnover margin: +4
INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Rushing
LSU: Leonard Fournette – 83 carries, 670 yards, 5 touchdowns
Alabama: Damien Harris – 87 carries, 697 yards, 1 touchdown
Passing
LSU: Danny Etling – 147 attempts, 89 completions, 61 percent, 1,129 yards, 7 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
Alabama: Jalen Hurts – 203 attempts, 128 completions, 63 percent, 1,549 yards, 11 touchdowns, 5 interceptions
Receiving
LSU: Travin Dural – 24 catches, 246 yards, 1 touchdown
Alabama: Calvin Ridley – 43 catches, 504 yards, 5 touchdowns
Tackles
LSU: Kendell Beckwith – 69
Alabama: Reuben Foster (ILB) – 53
Tackles-for-loss
LSU: Arden Key – 9
Alabama: Ryan Anderson (OLB) – 11½
Sacks
LSU: Arden Key – 8
Alabama: Tim Williams (OLB) – 6½
Quarterback-hurries
LSU: Arden Key – 8
Alabama: Jonathan Allen (DE) – 10
Interceptions
LSU: Donte Jackson, Tre’Davious White – 2
Alabama: Minkah Fitzpatrick (CB) – 3
Pass breakups
LSU: Donte Jackson – 6
Alabama: Minkah Fitzpatrick (CB) – 5
Punting
LSU: Josh Growden – 32 punts, 42.6-yard average
Alabama: JK Scott – 28 punts, 47.5-yard average
Kicking
LSU: Colby Delahoussaye – 5-of-7 FGs, 25-of-27 XPs
Alabama: Adam Griffith – 10-of-15 FGs; 43-of-43 XPs
Kickoff returns
LSU: Derrius Guice – 7 returns, 130 yards
Alabama: Trevon Diggs – 7 returns, 166 yards
Punt returns
LSU: Tre’Davious White: 14 returns, 134 yards, 1 touchdown
Alabama: Eddie Jackson – 11 returns, 253 yards, 2 touchdowns (injured)
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