Keelon Russell and Alabama Down LSU in Baton Rouge
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell fought through a third-quarter ankle injury to throw three touchdown passes, anchoring a gritty defensive performance that carried the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide to a 31-13 victory over No. 15 LSU at Tiger Stadium on Saturday, timesfreepress.com reported. The win alters the Southeastern Conference standings, pushing Alabama forward in the 12-team College Football Playoff race while leaving LSU facing long-shot postseason hopes during Lane Kiffin’s first season in Baton Rouge.
The triumph marks Alabama’s seventh win in their past eight trips to Tiger Stadium. Yet the visiting Crimson Tide managed the comfortable margin despite being outgained 457 to 285 in total yards and running 28 fewer offensive plays than the Tigers.
“Through the grace of God, it wasn’t a big injury,” Russell said after being examined in a sideline medical tent during the third quarter. “I knew if I had got out of this game, I was going to feel really bad about myself because I didn’t think I had gave it my all … I wasn’t going to let an injury stop me from being who I am.”
Clutch Fourth-Down Stops Define the Crimson Tide Victory
Alabama entered the contest holding the No. 5 spot in the selection committee’s rankings released Tuesday, sitting at 7-2 overall and 5-2 in conference play. LSU dropped to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEC following the Saturday night defeat. The visiting defense made several crucial fourth-down stops that completely altered the momentum of the game, neutralizing LSU's yardage advantage.
Russell connected with Josh Ford on a 7-yard touchdown pass, found Cederian Morgan for a 25-yard score, and hit Kaleb Edwards for a 4-yard touchdown. Those scoring strikes, combined with disciplined red-zone defense, proved enough to secure the win. According to Russell, the disciplined road performance “just gives all the boys confidence in how good we can be.”
