Heading into the 2022 season, expectations for LSU Football weren't super high. They had just gone 5-5 and 6-7 the previous two seasons and had just 39 scholarship players returning. However, Brian Kelly was just named head coach and somehow pieced together a roster that would win the SEC West.
En route to the SEC Championship game, the Tigers had to take down their arch rivals, the Alabama Crimson Tide, in Tiger Stadium. LSU entered the game 6-2 as the No. 10 team in the country while the Tide entered 7-1 as the No. 7 team in the country.
Prior to the game, the atmosphere around Tiger Stadium was buzzing. 102,321 fans awaited the biggest home game of the season, a game that, before the season, many thought wouldn't be all that close. Instead, we were treated to a thriller.
I've been to plenty of LSU games since moving to Louisiana in 2020, but I can firmly say, this was the loudest and best game I've witnessed in person in Tiger Stadium.
The game didn't start out all that entertaining. The Tigers got the ball first, but they only picked up 16 yards before punting. Bama drove down the field on their opening drive and went 76 yards in eight plays, but on 2nd-and-goal, Bryce Young misfired and Jarrick Bernard-Converse came down with an interception in the end zone to give LSU the ball back and keep the score at zero.
After that, we saw six consecutive punts before the Tigers were finally able to break the seal in the 2nd quarter thanks to a 30-yard touchdown catch from John Emery Jr., in which he broke a couple tackles and squeezed into the south end zone.
On the Tide's ensuing drive, Young found Jace McClellan on a drag route that nearly went for a touchdown, but Major Burns was able to hawk him down after a 65-yard pickup. The Tide's offense stalled out, and the Tigers held them to a field goal after a Harold Perkins sack on 3rd-and-five.
LSU got the ball back one more time before half, but couldn't get anything going and had to punt it away. Bama methodically drove 62 yards in 12 plays to set up a Will Reichard field goal as time expired on the half. Entering the locker room, the Tigers held a 7-6 lead.
The Tide got things going out of the half with their third field goal of the night after driving 55 yards in 15 plays to take their first lead of the game. However, it didn't take long for LSU to get that lead right back. Jayden Daniels led their offense 75 yards, which was highlighted by two long runs from Daniels and Josh Williams, to score their second touchdown of the night and retake a 14-9 lead.
Both teams followed that touchdown by punting, but from here on, we'd see both teams score on every drive for the rest of the game.
The Tide got the scoring started back up again with an eight-play, 76-yard drive. Jahmyr Gibbs kick started their long drive with a 34-yard rush up the visitor's sideline, and it looked like they were going to stall out after Young was sacked on 3rd-and-10, but a costly face mask penalty gave them a fresh set of downs, and Roydell Williams punched it in a few plays later. The Tide went for two to make it a three-point game, but failed to convert, leaving the score at 15-14.
The Tigers took little time answering and retaking the lead with a 32-yard field goal from Damien Ramos. On that drive, Daniels found Malik Nabers down the sideline, who made an incredible acrobatic catch for a 22-yard gain. A few plays later, a defensive pass interference penalty put LSU in Bama territory, and a couple Daniels runs and completions put them in field goal range.
With seven minutes remaining, LSU led 17-15, but the Tide had the ball with the chance to retake the lead. After picking up one third down, it looked like LSU had Alabama on the ropes with a 3rd-and-10, but Young somehow escaped four LSU defenders and found Ja'Corey Brooks wide open down LSU's sideline for a 41-yard touchdown. They once again failed to covert the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 21-17.
With just over four minutes left, the Tigers needed an answer, and like they had done all night, they quickly responded to Bama's score. Daniels kicked off the drive with a 31-yard rush on 3rd-and-five to keep the chains moving and put the Tigers in Alabama territory. On the very next play, he tried to find Kayshon Boutte down the left sideline, but he was interfered with and the flag advanced the Tigers 15 more yards. A few plays later, the Tigers faced a 3rd-and-seven. With the defense thinking pass, Mike Denbrock dialed up a Josh Williams run, which picked up 14 yards and set up a beautiful pitch and catch from Daniels to Mason Taylor for seven. Tiger Stadium absolutely erupted as the Tigers took a 24-21 lead over Alabama with 1:47 left on the clock.
However, it didn't take long for Alabama to silence the crowd. The Tide drove 47 yards in 10 plays, which led to a 46-yard, game-tying field goal from Will Reichard. The Tigers had 21 seconds on the clock, but they just kneeled it out and played for overtime.
Alabama got the ball first in overtime, and their drive was a bit controversial. Facing a 3rd-and-four from the six, Young tried to find Brooks in the end zone for a touchdown, but the pass fell incomplete. However, a flag was thrown for defensive pass interference, but the pass was pretty obviously tipped by Mekhi Wingo, which would nullify the pass interference call, but even after reviewing the play, the call stood, and it set up a one-yard touchdown run a couple plays later.
After Alabama's seven-play drive, LSU got the football with a chance to tie or take the lead. On the first play, they ran an option, and Jayden Daniels chose to keep it. He beat the edge defender, made a cut on the linebacker and got one of the most beautiful blocks you'll ever see from Josh Williams as he glided into the end zone for six points.
Now, it was decision time. Play for 2OT or go for two and the win. Brian Kelly chose the latter.
LSU lined up with two receivers out wide, Josh Williams in the backfield and Mason Taylor on the right side of the offensive line. Taylor faked a motion to the left and came back right behind the offensive line. Daniels snapped it, rolled out right, and found Taylor in the flat, who fell backwards in to the end zone to complete the two-point conversion and win the game.
Tiger Stadium went absolutely berserk (rightfully so) and the fans stormed the field, which created one of the most memorable scenes in Death Valley.
This game marked the first time LSU beat Alabama in Tiger Stadium since 2010 and was a landmark win for Brian Kelly in his first year as the Tigers head coach. It propelled the Tigers to the SEC Championship game, and was one of the best games ever to be played in Tiger Stadium.
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