LSU

Alabama stuffs LSU, 29-0, holds Tigers' run game to 12 rushing yards — worst since 1999

Glenn Guilbeau

USA TODAY Network

Alabama defensive linemen Quinnen Williams (92) and Raekwon Davis (99) pressure Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow (9) in second half action at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Saturday November 3, 2018.

BATON ROUGE — Welcome to LSU's blood red nightmare.

LSU's newbie quarterback Joe Burrow of Athens, Ohio, knows something about the suffocating series with Alabama now. It was thought he may change it. He ended up only being fresh meat, as he was sacked five times.

"I was surprised that we couldn't run the ball," Burrow, a graduate transfer from Ohio State, said with a dazed look on his face after a 29-0 loss to the No. 1 Crimson Tide on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.

No. 3 LSU (7-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) has now lost eight straight to Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC).

The Tigers managed just 12 rushing yards on 25 carries after coming in averaging 190 yards a game. It was the Tigers' worst rushing night since totaling -7 yards against Florida in a 31-10 loss at home in 1999 when LSU finished 3-8 and 1-7.

"They were really solid up front," Burrow said. "The most disappointing thing is that you didn’t score any points. We made adjustments. They didn't work."

The Tigers suffered their second straight home shutout to Alabama, which defeated LSU 10-0 in 2016. It was Alabama's third shutout of LSU in the eight-game plague, beginning with the 21-0 blanking in the national championship game on Jan. 9, 2012. It was also LSU's worst home loss since falling 31-0 to — yep — Alabama in 2002.

Of LSU's last five shutouts, four have come at the hands of the Tide — 31-0 at home to Alabama in 2002, 21-0 to the Tide in the 2011 postseason, 17-0 at Arkansas in 2014, 10-0 at home to Alabama two years ago and Saturday night.

"You always try to make adjustments, but when you are playing a team like that, it really comes down to heart," Burrow said. "Alabama had more of that."

Burrow completed 18 of 35 passes for 184 yards around five sacks, and his interception in the end zone with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter ended LSU's best scoring threat. But it was 29-0 at the time.

“Alabama had a really good game plan, executed it to a T," Burrow said. "We weren’t tough enough, physical enough or ready enough to make the plays."

LSU was out of the game quickly in the second quarter as Alabama went up 16-0 and led in total yards at halftime by 325 to 67, including 120 rushing on 16 carries to -1 on 11 carries.

"It stings," Burrow said. "We can't afford for it to be deflating for us. We have to get back up and dust ourselves off."

The Tigers travel to play the worst team in the SEC on Saturday in Arkansas (2-7, 0-5), which had an open date over the weekend.

Alabama dominated LSU on both sides of the line of scrimmage throughout the game, out-gaining the Tigers 576 yards to 196.

"It's frustrating. It would be frustrating for anyone," said LSU tight end Foster Moreau, who caught a 7-yard pass on LSU's first play of the game. Then nothing. "You keep trying to attack in different ways, and you just aren’t able to push it through."

LSU coach Ed Orgeron has seen this before. In 12 quarters as the Tigers' head coach against the Tide, his team has one field goal and one touchdown total with both coming in a 24-10 loss at Alabama last season.

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"We tried everything we possibly could. We just couldn't get anything going on offense," he said. "They dominated us the whole night. We've got a ways to go. We've got to get bigger and stronger on the offensive line. We've got to recruit better on the offensive and defensive lines. Same old thing."

Alabama coach Nick Saban, like Burrow, did not foresee his untested defensive line dominating LSU's offensive line, which returned starting senior left guard Garrett Brumfield after he missed four games with a knee injury. LSU's first three rushing plays resulted in -4 yards, and the night pretty much progressed as such.

"No, I did not," Saban said. "They moved the ball and ran the ball against everybody they played against. I mean Georgia's got a good defense (and gave up 275 on the ground to LSU in a 36-16 loss). Mississippi State's got a good defense (and gave up 110 rushing to LSU in a 19-3 loss). They had a good plan against us at the beginning of the game."

Tiger Stadium was also rocking and full with a 102,321 capacity sellout "at the beginning" as LSU was within 6-0 after the first quarter.

"The fans were great," Orgeron said. "There was energy all day. The defense was playing great in the first quarter."

But Alabama eventually just suffocated LSU like a big red blob.

"And then all of a sudden, they started wearing us down," Orgeron said.

"The crowd really showed up for us," Burrow said. "That was the best atmosphere I've ever been a part of."

But LSU could do nothing to make the atmosphere last as long as the second quarter. Even the SEC's top kicker — LSU's Cole Tracy at 21 of 23 — missed his first field goal of the season from within 50 yards when he hooked a 33-yard attempt left early in the fourth quarter. That would have only made it 22-3, though.

"The crowd was there for us," said wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who led the Tigers with six catches for 81 yards. "But we couldn't give them what they wanted."

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