All Sports Schedule
Sport
Football Returns to Death Valley for November Showdown with AlabamaFootball Returns to Death Valley for November Showdown with Alabama
by Harrison Valentine

Football Returns to Death Valley for November Showdown with Alabama

On the heels of two-straight SEC wins, No. 14 LSU returns home to Death Valley for a marquee matchup with No. 5 Alabama on Saturday afternoon in Tiger Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 2:45 p.m. CT on ABC and the LSU Sports Radio Network. ESPN’s Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge will be on the broadcast call, while Chris Blair, Jacob Hester and Gordy Rush will be on the radio.

Saturday will be the final meeting between the Tigers and Tide as permanent conference opponents. In fact, it will be the 17th time in the past 18 years that the two programs have squared off to open up November. Both programs are coming off an open date.

"Less margin for error,” said head coach Lane Kiffin heading into November. “We've got to be on everything. We have to make sure we perform really well against a really good team that's coached really well. You see them and they look like old Alabama teams."

In their last outing, LSU posted one of their more complete performances of the season – a 38-17 rout over Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium, a place that has produced some nail-bitting finishes for both Tiger programs in recent memory. Behind quarterback Sam Leavitt’s 387 yards passing and three touchdowns and a monster day from receiver Jackson Harris, the Fighting Tigers cruised to a big win heading into the bye. The defense also posted seven sacks.

"He's made really good decisions with the ball, outside of one,” Kiffin said on Leavitt. “He hasn't forced anything. He's taking what the defense gives him. He's a lot more comfortable, which probably should have been expected, having missed spring."

The Tide are coming off a 31-20 win over Texas A&M. QB Keelon Russell posted 311 yards passing with three touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Rico Scott finished with a team-leading 156 yards on six receptions.

“We’re going to have to play really well,” Kiffin said. “I do think this is the most talented team – when you take the all 22 – that we’ve played so far.”

The game, as previously mentioned, will kick off at 2:45 p.m. CT, which will be the first home game against Alabama to (not) be at night since 2010. The last day game in this series came in 2019, when LSU defeated Alabama 46-41 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

"If you're used to 6:30, start your day earlier,” Kiffin said. “Have breakfast earlier. Start drinking earlier. Whatever your routine is, move it up. Go to bed earlier Friday night. That's my message for our fans."

Defensively, Alabama is led in tackles by linebacker Caleb Woodson, who has recorded 63 for the season along with two sacks and an interception. Linebacker Luke Metz and defensive back Bray Hubbard are next in line with 57 tackles and 41 tackles, respectively. It’s a defense, Coach Kiffin says, that’s the best LSU has faced to date.

"When I was a kid, looking back, if someone told me LSU and Bama were playing on Saturday, I was going to be watching that game,” said quarterback Sam Leavitt on Tuesday. “It’s a surreal and special experience.”

LSU is looking to win in Baton Rouge for the first time since 2022 when Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels led the Tigers to a thrilling 32-31 victory in overtime – the first LSU win over Alabama since the 2019 regular season.

Fans can also get an all-access look into Coach Kiffin's first season in Baton Rouge by watching The Difference, LSU Football's weekly docuseries on LSU+, following the Tigers all year long with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content you won’t see anywhere else. Start watching today.