The coach who “can’t win the big game” beat Alabama in his first top ten matchup at LSU. The quarterback who “held the offense back” routinely came up with clutch plays when his team needed them the most. The freshman tight end who “wasn’t ready to be the focal point of the offense” (he never was; Daniels was simply taking what the defense was giving him) made a contested touchdown catch that led to overtime then a two-point conversion to win the game. This was a game of redemption, validation, and arrival. The LSU Tigers are leading the SEC West with a 7-2 record and complete control of their destination to play in the SEC championship. The most gratifying aspect of this win is the nature in which the game was won; this was no fluke. As usual, Alabama did not go away easily, but the Fighting Tigers always responded. I could write a book on the performance of Jayden Daniels, but I’d rather give credit to some unsung heroes that helped LSU pull off the upset.

Linebackers

It’s tough to single out one unit of the defense when all three levels played so well, but this was a unique challenge for the linebackers due to the playmaking ability of Bryce Young. Micah Baskerville and Greg Penn did their part in stopping the run and making Alabama one dimensional. Jahmyr Gibbs is arguably the most electric running back in the conference, but LSU held Alabama to 137 yards rushing, 66 yards less under their average. The linebackers were equally as impressive in their pass defense. Whether they had zone or spy responsibilities, they avoided overcommitting. That patience led to Bryce Young throwing an interception on their first drive as Baskerville played his role beautifully. Howard Perkins has more twitch, or explosiveness, than any linebacker I’ve seen in purple and gold. He could not be blocked, and his open field tackling was elite when in space with Young.

Running Backs

I’ve been adamant about John Emery getting more touches, but Josh Williams continues to quietly and consistently affect games. Williams averaged 7.7 yards per carry, breaking tackles and converting critical third downs along the way. Emery has been progressively more impressive from game to game since his reinstatement and demonstrated what makes him different than the other backs. His size, physicality, and elusiveness are traits that will get him drafted regardless of his lack of game tape. Noah Cain catches kickoffs, and that is a skill I will never take for granted again after this year.

Secondary

More often than not, fans only notice defensive backs when they get beat for a big play. Jarrick Bernard-Converse has been solid at cornerback and even safety at times but has not been mentioned when people speak of defensive standouts. Bernard-Converse came up with a momentum shifting interception early in the game and helped spark a secondary that won their matchups more times than not. Alabama’s leading receiver was a running back, and that tells me all I need to know about the performance of the secondary. Major Burns was beaten on a tough route for a safety to cover but showed impressive speed to save the touchdown. Sage Ryan’s forced fumble is the type of play that can give him confidence establish himself as a starter. Mekhi Garner’s physical nature is a joy to watch, but he also has the coverage skills to go with it. To put it in Garner’s words, what we saw from the secondary last night was DBU type “stuff”.

The impact of Tiger Stadium cannot be understated. It felt as though I could feel the electricity of the stadium through the television. The environment was a reminder of what Tiger Stadium is at its best – unmatched. Brian Kelly has quickly restored faith in the direction of the program. He has done so in less than a full year at the helm, and that creates excitement about what he can do in the future. The scary part for the rest of the league is the future is now. LSU still has to play Texas A&M, who would fire their coach if it didn’t cost 87 million to do so, and Arkansas, who lost to Liberty yesterday. If LSU holds serve and meets Georgia in the SEC Championship, anything could happen. The only path to the playoffs would be to beat Georgia, but the fact that it’s even up for discussion is a testament to the job Brian Kelly has done. When questioned about failed fourth down conversions about Tennessee, Kelly responded that he was not coaching to keep the game close; he was coaching to win. That strategy obviously paid off last night. Kelly had to hear all the jokes and criticism for dancing with recruits before the season even started, but now it looks like he could be dancing all the way to Atlanta. Geaux Tigers!!