BATON ROUGE — As in most LSU-Alabama games in recent history, the stakes will once again by high on Saturday when the top-ranked Crimson Tide visits Death Valley for a matchup with the 15th-ranked Tigers in a game that could decide the Southeastern Conference Western Division.
Kickoff for the Tigers and Crimson Tide is set for 2:30 p.m. in a sold out Tiger Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by CBS.
LSU goes into the game with 6-2 overall record and a 3-2 mark in league games, while Alabama is 9-0 overall and 5-0 in conference action. A win by LSU keeps the Tigers chances of winning the SEC Western Division alive. However, a loss to the Crimson Tide gives Alabama the western division crown and a berth in next month’s SEC title game in Atlanta.
GameDay Info
LSU vs. Alabama
Saturday, Nov. 8
2:30 p.m. CST
GameTime Temp: 76?
Rain: 0% chance
Humidity: 24%
Wind: W 10 mph
Forecast
Sunrise: 6:25 a.m.
Kickoff: 2:35 p.m.
Sunset: 5:11 p.m.
Times of Interest
8 a.m.
LSU Ticket Office opens
9 – 11 a.m.
ESPN College GameDay broadcasts live from “Old Front 9” (northeast corner of Nicholson Dr. and Burbank Dr. | view map)
10 a.m.
Trumbone Shorty live at Tiger One Village (in front of PMAC)
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
ESPN GameDay Radio live (southeast corner of Nicholson Dr. and Burbank Dr.)
11:30 a.m.
Club level and Suites open at Tiger Stadium
11:45 a.m.
LSU Student gates open at Tiger Stadium
Noon
All remaining gates open at Tiger Stadium
12:20 p.m.
LSU walks down “Victory Hill”
12:30 p.m.
LSU Gameday presented by CST on the air | Watch Live Pregame Video
12:35 p.m.
Mike the Tiger comes down the hill
12:40 p.m.
LSU’s Golden Band From Tigerland marches down the hill
2:14:15 p.m.
“LSU Salutes” recognition
2:17 p.m.
Guest Captains presentation
2:21 p.m.
Golden Band from Tigerland takes the field for pregame performance
2:25 p.m.
Alma Mater and National Anthem
2:27 p.m.
Flyover
2:31 p.m.
LSU takes the field
2:31:45 p.m.
Alabama takes the field
2:35 p.m.
Kickoff: LSU vs. Alabama | Live on CBS and Sportsline.com
Pre-Game Presentations
Sturlese Scholarship Presentation
LSU Salutes Recognition
End of First Quarter
LSU Gymnastics Super Six recognition
Halftime
Alabama’s Million Dollar Band performs
LSU Golden Band from Tigerland performs
Guest Captains
Michael Clayton
Ben Jones
Kenneth “Bobby” Moreau
Jesse Daigle.
Jerry Joseph
Wayne Williams
LSU goes into the Alabama game having won five straight and seven of the past eight contests against the Crimson Tide. Two years ago, Alabama brought an identical 9-0 record into the LSU game only to fall to the Tigers, 16-13, in overtime in Tuscaloosa.
Saturday’s game represents the first time that LSU has hosted the nation’s top-ranked team in Tiger Stadium since 1997 when the Tigers shocked No. 1 Florida, 28-21. Since then, LSU has gone on to beat the nation’s top-ranked team two more times without a loss, knocking off No. 1 Oklahoma, 21-14, in the 2003 BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans and No. 1 Ohio State, 38-24, in the BCS title game a year ago.
While the stakes between the teams are high, perhaps the most intriguing storyline on Saturday is the return of former LSU coach Nick Saban to Tiger Stadium. Saban led the resurrection of LSU football at the start of this decade, guiding the Tigers to a national title and a pair of conference championships during his five seasons in Baton Rouge.
Saban bolted for the NFL and the Miami Dolphins following the 2004 season, spending two years in the pro ranks before taking the Alabama job in January of 2007, the same day that LSU beat Notre Dame, 41-14, to win the Sugar Bowl.
With the departure of Saban from LSU, the school turned to Les Miles, who has guided the Tigers to unprecedented success during his four years at the helm. Miles is the first coach in school history to lead the team to three-straight 10-plus win seasons and he directed LSU to the 2007 BCS National Championship with a 38-24 victory over Ohio State. He’s also the only coach in school history to capture three straight top five final national rankings as well as the only LSU coach to beat Auburn, Alabama and Florida in the same year, which he’s done twice in 2005 and 2007.
“It really is, very honestly, about our football team, what we want to accomplish, the things we are capable of and just playing to our capabilities and playing as well as we can,” Miles said earlier in the week regarding the matchup with Alabama. “They are a Western Division rival. This is a team that you have to go through to sit atop the conference. They have the same issue. It’s something we look at with great importance, but it has nothing to do with who coaches there or who coaches here.”
One of the big keys for LSU on Saturday will be the Tigers’ ability to move the football on an Alabama defense that is rated No. 2 in the nation in rush defense (65.6 yards per game) and No. 4 nationally in total defense (251.4 ypg). In nine games this year, the Crimson Tide has allowed just six first quarter points and only 26 points in the first half.
The Tigers bring an offensive unit into the game that has shown the ability to move the football, no matter the opponent. Two weeks ago against Georgia, the Tigers racked up 38 points and nearly 500 yards against the top 10 Bulldogs.
LSU goes into the Alabama game averaging 32.5 points and 402.5 total yards per game. LSU is the only team in the SEC to rate among the top four in the league in both rushing offense (186.1 ypg) and passing offense (216.4 ypg).
Tiger quarterback Jarrett Lee ranks third in the SEC in pass efficiency having thrown for 1,427 yards and 10 scores for the Tigers. Lee’s passing yardage and touchdowns are the most by an LSU freshman since Tommy Hodson’s rookie year in 1986.
When the Tigers aren’t throwing it, they will turn to a running game led by junior Charles Scott, who ranks second in the SEC with 111 yards per game. Scott has rushed for 100 yards six times this year and has 889 yards and 11 scores to his credit this season.
Defensively, the Tigers will have to avoid breakdowns and allowing big plays, something that both Georgia and Florida took advantage of in losses earlier this year. A week ago, LSU’s defense had one of its better efforts of the season, limiting Tulane to only three points and just 163 yards in the 35-10 victory.
Alabama’s offense relies on the game management of quarterback John Parker Wilson, the running of Glen Coffee and play-making receivers in Julio Jones and Nick Walker.
“The key for us is that we play four quarters of football, from start to finish and without lapses on offense, defense and special teams,” Miles said. “That’s what our push is, to play our best game versus arguably the best opponent that we’ll face. I do understand that the team that is coming in here is ranked No. 1. I do understand who coaches that team. It’s not about either of those issues. It’s about LSU and Alabama. We’re going to play well and focus on just those things.”
ESPN GameDay on LSU Campus
ESPN College GameDay will originate its weekly show from the LSU golf course “old front nine” grass area near the intersection of Nicholson Drive and Burbank Drive this weekend.
The site is located just north of the LSU Day Care Center and east of Nicholson Drive. The lot is normally open for free parking on game day, but a portion of the lot will not be available for automobile parking until 11 a.m. after the conclusion of the Saturday morning show.
The show will air live from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Saturday. Fans are encouraged to arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. to be in place for the live show.
Fans Advised to Arrive Early, Expect Heavy Traffic
LSU fans are advised to arrive early and anticipate delays before and after the game as record crowds are expected on the LSU campus when the Tigers play host to No. 1-ranked Alabama Saturday afternoon.
“This is one of those games when many people come to campus just to participate in the revelry of the day even if they don’t have tickets to the game,” said LSU director of athletics Joe Alleva. “Traffic will be heavy before and after the game and we ask fans to carpool when possible and be patient in their drive to and from the stadium.”
The game has been moved to 2:30 p.m. to be televised by CBS, reducing the number of pre-game hours available for fans to arrive at the campus.
“When we play at night, the traffic trickles into campus throughout the day. But for a day game, traffic is much heavier because arrival time is compressed,” Alleva said.
Fans traveling north after the game are advised that traffic congestion caused by the 13th Gate Haunted House in downtown Baton Rouge can cause delays as it did following LSU’s game against Georgia two weeks ago when another large crowd departed Tiger Stadium.