LSU football fell to Alabama on Saturday as the Crimson Tide dealt a fatal blow to LSU's playoff hopes. The game was competitive for three quarters, but Alabama emptied Tiger Stadium with 21 unanswered points, and Kalen DeBoer's team walked out with a 31-13 win.
LSU was a 6.5-point favorite with a chance to make a statement win. A win would have catapulted LSU into the playoff picture, setting the Tigers up for a November run. That wasn't in the cards, though, and Lane Kiffin's first year in Baton Rouge is on the verge of falling short of expectations.
The schedule won't get any easier. LSU hosts Texas next week before taking a road trip to Tennessee. With the playoff likely out of the question, the coaching staff will have to keep this team motivated
to avoid an ugly finish to the season.
Here are five takeaways from LSU football's loss at Alabama.
Missed opportunities haunt the LSU offense
LSU football has struggled in goal-to-go situations all year. Mistakes near the goal line hurt LSU in the Kentucky game, and the same issue reared its head vs. Alabama. LSU drove the field on its first drive, only to settle for a field goal on fourth-and-goal.
On the day, LSU averaged 1.6 points per scoring opportunity, which ranks in the 9th percentile. Not good. Meanwhile, the Alabama offense averaged 5.2 points across six scoring chances.
LSU didn't finish drives. At the same time, the offense was struggling to create explosive plays. When the big plays aren't there and the offense can't execute in the red zone, it makes it hard to score points.
LSU's run game isn't good enough
LSU's ground attack isn't good enough to move the ball vs. good defenses. LSU's run game is undoubtedly better than it was last year, but the unit has a way to go before it's good enough to do damage vs. playoff-level teams.
LSU averaged -0.08 EPA/rush, a 32nd percentile number. LSU RB Dilin Jones carried it 17 times for just 56 yards, and Sam Leavitt only averaged 4.09 yards per carry. LSU finished the day with 33 carries for 77 yards, making it LSU's worst rushing performance of the year.
We knew Alabama's run defense would test LSU, but there was evidence LSU had made real progress in this department. Saturday's results were a setback. When LSU goes back to the drawing board to build its 2027 roster, improving the run game will be at the top of the to-do list.
LSU fell apart in the fourth quarter again
In all three of LSU's losses, the Tigers had chances to win. LSU roared back to tie the game vs. Ole Miss and later had another chance to send it to overtime on the final drive. At Kentucky, LSU had the ball multiple times with a chance to put the game away and didn't.
LSU led Alabama 13-10 in the second half, and for most of the game, this was a one-possession contest. LSU couldn't make the plays it needed to close the game. When Alabama took the lead back, LSU responded with a three-and-out. This team just isn't consistent enough to find the clutch plays.
Some of this comes down to LSU failing on the little things. LSU's offense hasn't shown it can keep its composure for four quarters, and the defense allows untimely explosive plays.
LSU's defense was good, but not good enough
For most of the day, Blake Baker's defense played well. The Tigers' front seven applied pressure, and the secondary didn't give up space downfield. That changed late in the third quarter. With LSU up by three, Keelon Russell found Rico Scott for a 57-yard gain. A few plays later, Alabama found the end zone and took the lead. The 57-yard catch is the moment when the game changed.
Before that moment, this game was back and forth, blow for blow. Alabama took the momentum on that play and didn't give it back.
LSU's defensive performance was solid, but people won't remember what the Tigers did over the first three quarters. The big plays LSU surrendered late in the game will define this day for the unit.
The Tide averaged 7.46 yards per dropback. That's not an elite number, but it's more efficient than LSU wanted to allow.
Jackson Harris is a superstar
Just so this article isn't too dreary, we'll end with a positive takeaway. LSU WR Jackson Harris is a superstar. He caught 11 passes for 166 yards, averaging 15.1 yards per catch. Harris was just about the only element of LSU's offense that worked with consistency on Saturday evening.
Harris now has 20 catches for 344 yards over his last two games. The Hawai'i transfer has emerged as one of the nation's top pass-catchers and a bona fide WR1.
Harris' draft stock continues to skyrocket. He makes contested catches, he rarely drops passes, and he finds yards after the catch.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Five takeaways from LSU football's devastating loss to Alabama
