Mythical Playoffs (Round 2) 92 Alabama vs 03 LSU
By SECFans on July 5 2009 5:18 PM
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Game Ten: 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0) vs 2003 LSU Tigers (13-1)
Tournament to Date:
92 Alabama:
Defeated 2005 Georgia 24-13
(Players of the Game: David Palmer, Antonio Langham)
03 LSU:
Defeated 1993 Florida 21-10
(Players of the Game: Matt Mauck, Randall Gay)
Argument for Alabama:
The 92 Bama defense looked really strong against the 05 Georgia squad. Unlike the 93 Florida defense that Matt Mauck and the LSU offense faced in the 1st round, this one imposes a real threat to the passing game. Mauck will have to minimize his mistakes, because this Tide defense will feast upon offensive miscues. Jay Barker will probably have to throw the ball more, and Gene Stallings may need to prepare a few wrinkles to find the end zone against this LSU defense. Will this traditionally conservative offense be able to score enough to push Bama into the semi-finals?
Argument for LSU:
With this defense, LSU is going to be in any game against any foe. Throw back fans will enjoy this battle as it pairs two of the best defenses to ever grace the SEC. Corey Webster and Randall Gay will put immense pressure on a somewhat pedestrian WR corps for Bama. Their ability will allow LSU to keep an extra man in the box to stop the run. Jay Barker doesn't make a lot of mistakes at QB for the Tide, but LSU may force him into plenty of 3rd an long situations. Offensively, LSU has the size and speed to match the Tide defense. Vincent and Addai may have some success against the Tide front line. But only if Mauck can have enough success to keep the Bama secondary honest.
How it Plays Out:
The fans wanted defense...and they got it. To open the game neither team is having even a modicum of success on offense. Both have managed to avoid the big mistake, but moving the ball has become an act of the utmost futility for both teams. Langham, Tommy Johnson, and George Teague have bottled up the LSU receivers, while Copeland and Curry have both managed sacks. For the Tigers, Chad Lavalais recorded two sacks on Alabama's opening posession, while LaRon Landry was sent on a blitz, and recorded a sack of his own.
It wasn't until the middle of the 2nd quarter that a team managed to get on the board. LSU found a little luck when they recovered their own fumble 20 yards upfield. Addai was blindsided by linebacker Michael Rogers and he coughed up the rock. A mad dash for the ball rolling down the field left an alert Clayton sliding on top of it just before it rolled out of bounds. On the subsequent 1st down play, Mauck hit Devery Henderson on a curl where Langham had slipped. Henderson took advantage of the mistake and scampared all the way down to the Bama 11 yard line. Two plays later, in a show of true grit and determination, Mauck grinds out a QB draw that stopped just over the goal line. A mistake from the LSU special teams, however, led to a Bama field goal to end the 2nd quarter. For the first time in the tournament, an opposing kicker pushed a kickoff in the direction of David Palmer. Following a wall of blockers and leveraging a bit of creative wriggling of his own, Palmer received a booming kick 3 yards deep, and guided it up to midfield. After a 24 yard screen pass to Sherman Williams, the Tide offense could move no more. The 43 yard field goal was all the Bama offense could muster in the first half.
To open the 3rd quarter, the Tide offense changed their strategy. Jay Barker came out firing, catching the LSU secondary off guard. Most of the passes were quick hitting stops, slants, and outs. Wimbley and Palmer both had multiple catches on the drive. After the secondary took a step backwards, the Tide went to work on the ground. Lassic took a draw up the gut for a 14 yard gain. Chris Anderson managed 17 on a sweep. And Barker capped the drive off with a quick hitter to Palmer that put him in the end zone.
Unwilling to simply lean on the defense, the LSU tigers mounted a drive of their own late in the 3rd. Mauck found Henderson on an 8 yard out. Addai pounded the ball up the middle for 22. Then, with the Bama safety cheating up, Mauck caught Bama's single coverage with it's pants down. A stop and go to Michael Clayton led to a 44 yard TD. Bama 10 LSU 14.
To start the 4th, Jay Barker opened the drive with decent field position at his own 38. Lassic and Williams had some success running the ball, and Wimbley pushed a reverse upfield for a 17 yard gain. But the Tide offense stalled again, and was unable to find paydirt. Settling for another field goal left them trailing by 1 with 9 minutes left in the game.
Finding itself in familiar territory, the Tide defense seemed to take the lack of offensive support as a challenge. Forcing Mauck and the Tigers into a 3rd and 11, Bama's bookends Copeland and Curry were able to pin their ears back and go for broke. It worked. Sandwiching the Tiger QB between a couple of Crimson missles, the Tide defense was able to force the first turnover of the game. Mauck barely got the ball off in time, and Teague stepped in front of the wobbly offering from the LSU gun slinger. With nothing but 34 yards of green turf in front of him George Teague high-stepped his way to 6 points and a 15 yard penalty.
Unable to capitalize on great field position provided by Teague's personal foul, the LSU offense managed only 7 yards. With time winding down, Saban had to go for it on 4th and 17. A Matt Mauck pass deep across the middle of the field found no receiver on the other end. Bama was able to grind out the clock and advance.
Final Score: Alabama 20 LSU 14
Link to Bracket (possible spoiler)
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