TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Rohan Davey set the school record with 528 passing yards and Josh Reed set the school and Southeastern Conference records with 19 catches for 293 yards, as the LSU football team put forth an offensive show in a 35-21 victory over Alabama on Saturday night.
LSU improved to 5-3 overall and 3-3 in SEC play, while Alabama fell to 3-5 overall and 2-4 in the SEC. The Tigers racked up 611 yards of total offense, while holding the Crimson Tide to 383 including 209 passing — a season low by an LSU opponent.
Overshadowed in the record-shattering performances was LaBrandon Toefield’s three touchdowns on 23 carries with a sore Achilles. Toefield rushed for 73 yards and earned his 13th score of the season. The Tigers were without the services of return specialist and backup running back Domanick Davis, who re-injured his ankle on a kickoff early in the game.
Davey also set the school record for completions, as he finished 35-of-44 passing with two touchdowns and an interception in the red zone on a tipped ball. Reed caught one of Davey’s touchdowns and Jerel Myers had the other.
The score was not reflective of the Tigers’ dominance, as LSU had two turnovers in the red zone and a muffed punt that led to an Alabama score.
On its first two drives of the game, the Tigers took the ball 66 and 87 yards, respectively, to take a 14-0 lead with 2:15 remaining the first quarter.
After electing to give the Crimson Tide the ball to start the game, the LSU defense forced an Alabama three-and-out to take over at its own 34-yard line. Aided by an Alabama personal foul and a holding penalty, the Tigers marched down the field with a fix of short passes and running plays by LaBrandon Toefield.
Toefield’s 3-yard touchdown run with 10:25 remaining was his 11th of the season.
After holding Alabama at midfield, the LSU offense took over at its own 12, but mounted an 88-yard drive that featured Davey throughout. The senior team captain completed six passes for 79 yards including a 34-yard touchdown strike to Jerel Myers over the middle. LSU led 14-0 with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter.
Alabama mounted a drive of its own, getting to the LSU 6-yard line before having to settle for a 23-yard Neal Thomas field goal. Alabama cut the lead to 14-3 with 11:20 remaining in the half.
With Domanick Davis on the sidelines with an ankle injury, Reed was sent back to receive punts. The Crimson Tide capitalized on a poorly muffed punt by Reed to take over at the LSU 42. Three plays later, the Tide cut the lead to 14-10 after a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Watts to tight end Terry Jones.
With under two minutes remaining in the first half, Davey again passed the ball down the field for an apparent score. However, the LSU offensive line was flagged for holding and a 27-yard touchdown to Reed was negated. Placekicker John Corbello then missed a 44-yard field goal attempt with under a minute remaining.
To start the second half, Davey came out wide-eyed and throwing. The Miami native completed five straight passes for 78 yards and then handed the ball to Toefield for his 12th score of the season and second of the game from two yards out. LSU led 21-10 after the six-play, 80-yard drive that took only 2:13.
Watts then guided Alabama to the LSU 16-yard line before the LSU defense stiffened to force a 35-yard field goal by Thomas. The Crimson Tide trailed 21-13 with 8:49 left in the third quarter.
On ensuing drive, Reed tied and broke the LSU single-game record for receptions with his 15th, ironically coming on his only negative-yard reception of the game. One play later, Reed caught a post from Davey and looked toward the endzone to score. However, the ball was knocked away from him at the 15-yard line and recovered by Alabama in the endzone for a touchback. The 47-yard reception by Reed gave him a school-record 252 yards receiving, breaking Todd Kinchen’s record of 248 against Mississippi State in 1991.
Alabama again capitalized on an LSU turnover to tie the game at 21-21 with 3:38 remaining in the third quarter. The Crimson Tide went 80 yards in six plays in under three minutes, culminated by Watts’ 22-yard option touchdown around the right side.
Davey and Reed answered the call once again, this time actually crossing the goal line as the duo hooked up for a 25-yard touchdown just before the end of the third quarter. Reed broke the Southeastern Conference records with his 18th reception and 282 yards, while Davey moved into first place in LSU’s single-game passing yards list with 472. Davey also moved into sixth place on LSU’s career passing yards list with 3,353.
The Tigers continued their offensive dominance on the next drive, as Davey connected with Clayton for a tip-toeing first-down grab on third-and-9. Later, Toefield went in to the endzone from 5-yards out to give LSU a 35-21 lead.
LSU returns to action on Nov. 10 when it plays host to Middle Tennessee State on Homecoming.
LSU Game Notes
LSU vs. Alabama
Nov. 3, 2001
Bryant-Denny Stadium
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- LSU
won its third consecutive SEC road game for the first time since winning four straight in 1997. LSU defeated Kentucky (29-25) and Mississippi State (42-0) on the road earlier this season. Josh Reed set LSU and SEC records for single game receptions and yardage, catching 19 passes for 293 yards. Reed broke Wendell Davis’ 15-year old record of 14 receptions against Ole Miss in 1986, while passing Todd Kinchen’s school record of 248 yards receiving against Mississippi State in 1991. The previous SEC records were 17 receptions, accomplished twice (most recently in 1995), and 269 yards by Craig Yeast of Kentucky in 1998. Rohan Davey broke Tommy Hodson’s LSU single game record for passing yards, throwing for 528 yards. Hodson threw for 438 yards against Tennessee in 1989. The 528 yards by Davey are the most yards passing against an Alabama team, as were his 35 completions (breaking Archie Manning’s record of 34). Davey’s 540 yards of total offense (528 passing, 12 rushing) tied Archie Manning’s (Ole Miss ) SEC record for a single game set on Oct. 4, 1969, versus Alabama. Davey’s 35 completions broke the LSU record of 33, set by Jeff Wickersham in 1988. Davey’s 44 attempts was well shy of the school record of 58 by Josh Booty on Sept. 19, 1999, against Auburn. However, Davey’s mark ranked in a tie for seventh in school history with Jesse Daigle (Nov. 16, 1991 vs. Mississippi State). Rohan Davey moved from ninth to seventh on the all-time LSU passing yardage list, moving past Chad Loup and Bert Jones in the process. Davey entered the game with 2,881 yards and passed both quarterbacks during a third quarter when he threw for 211 yards. Loup had 3,167 yards passing from 1990-93 and Bert Jones posted 3,225 from 1970-72. With two touchdown passes, Davey also tied Y.A. Tittle for eighth on the all-time LSU career TD pass list with 23. Davey now has 3,409 career passing yards, 542 behind former Tiger Josh Booty (1999-2000) who is in sixth place. Josh Reed became the first Tiger to record back-to-back 1,000-yard season, surpassing the mark on a 16-yard reception in the second quarter. The reception gave Reed 1,004 yards on the season at the time. Reed joins Joey Kent of Tennessee, who recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 1995 and 1996 as the only other player in SEC history to accomplish the feat. Reed and true freshman Michael Clayton both caught for more than 100 yards in the same game for the second time this season. The combo did the same against Kentucky when Reed had 160 and Clayton had 105. Clayton’s 126 yards receiving was a career high, breaking the previous high of 105 against Kentucky. This was his second 100-yard game of his young career. The 261 yards passing in the first half by Davey were more than his final game totals in five of the Tigers’ seven previous games this season. Davey went over 300 yards passing on a 12-yard pass to Josh Reed. Davey set an LSU record with his fourth career 300-plus-yard game and a single season record with his third (he threw for 356 against Tennessee and 383 against Tennessee). On the same 16-yard pass, Reed surpassed the 100-yard mark for the 14th time in his career, an LSU record, breaking his tie with Wendell Davis, who posted 13 100-yard receiving games from 1984-87. On a 19-yard pass from Rohan Davey in the third quarter, Josh Reed moved into third place on the all-time LSU receiving yardage list, moving past Tony Moss who totaled 2,196 yards from 1986-89. Reed entered the game with 2,159 yards and the catch moved him over 2,200 career yards on the catch (which moved him from 2,190 to 2,209 at the time). Reed now has 2,452 career receiving yards, 173 short of Eric Martin for second place all-time. With an incredible 19 receptions in the game and 137 for his career, Josh Reed moved all the way from seventh to third place on the all-time LSU receptions list. Reed began the day in seventh place with 118 catches and moved past Sheddrick Wilson (121), Garry James (122), Larry Foster (125) and ultimately Tony Moss (132) on his 15th catch of the day. Reed is 15 short of Eric Martin (152 from 1981-84) for second place and 46 short of the Wendell Davis’ all-time record of 183 from 1984-87. Reed’s 25-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter moved him to a sixth place tie on the all-time LSU receiving touchdowns list with 14, tying Carlos Carson and Eric Martin. Reed continued his streak of big plays for the Tigers this year, hauling in a 31-yard pass from Davey in the second quarter. Reed now has at least one reception of 30-plus yards in every LSU game this year. With a 16-yard reception on the first offensive play of the game for the Tigers, Reed extended his streak of consecutive regular season games with a catch to 22 games. Reed has caught at least one pass in every game he’s played at receiver since moving to the position from running back prior to the 1999 Alabama game. In addition, Jerel Myers hauled in a 6-yard pass in the Tigers’ opening drive, marking the ninth straight game he’s had at least one catch, the second longest streak on the Tigers. Myers has now caught at least one pass in 30 of 31 career games. The 34-yard touchdown reception by Myers in the first quarter was his longest reception since a 36-yarder against Kentucky on Oct. 14, 2001. LaBrandon Toefield’s 3-yard touchdown on the Tigers’ opening possession marked only the third time this season that LSU scored a touchdown in its first chance. All three touchdowns have been by LaBrandon Toefield ? against Tulane, Kentucky and today against Alabama. Toefield added his 12th and 13th touchdowns of the season on 2- and 5-yard runs. The 13 touchdowns posted by Toefield this season is the most by an LSU running back since Kevin Faulk finished with 13 in 1996. Toefield scored at least three touchdowns for the third time this season (3 vs. Tulane, 4 vs. Utah St., 3 vs. Alabama). Jarvis Green moved from tied for sixth to tied for fourth on the all-time sack list with a pair of sacks on Saturday. Green’s two sacks give him 19 for his career, tied with current Atlanta Falcon Chuck Wiley. Green entered the game tied for sixth place with another NFL standout, Anthony “Booger” McFarland. True freshman Michael Clayton continues to establish himself as a true deep threat for the Tigers. Clayton got behind the Alabama corner for 41-yard gain in the second quarter, the fifth time in the last six games he’s had at least one catch for better than 25 yards. Free safety Ryan Clark recorded his second interception of the season off Andrew Zow with less than two minutes left in the game. The pickoff was the seventh of his career. Clark also made his 31st consecutive start dating back to the 1999 season opener against San Jose State. Trev Faulk made his 28th consecutive start dating back to the Georgia game in the fourth week of his freshman season. Jerel Myers made his 30th start in 31 career games with the only exception being the 1999 season finale against Arkansas when the Tigers opened in a three tight end alignment. Lionel Thomas’ streak of 19 consecutive starts at strong safety came to an end, a streak that ranked third on the Tiger defense. Norman LeJeune made his second start of the season and first career start at strong safety in place of the injured Lionel Thomas. LeJeune started the season opener against Tulane at left cornerback. LeJeune started five games during his freshman season in 1999 at drop linebacker, a similar position in responsibilities to strong saftey. Captains for the Tigers were permanent captains QB Rohan Davey, LB Trev Faulk, TE Robert Royal and honorary game captain LB Walter Moreham.