Alabama @ Louisiana State preview
Tiger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 7, 2009 ) Louisiana State 15, Alabama 24
Both Alabama and Louisiana State know they have to be perfect from here on out to maintain their hopes of playing for the SEC title – and, for that matter, the national championship.
One of them is likely to see those dreams slip away Saturday when the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide visits the No. 11 Tigers in a crucial SEC Western Division showdown.
The Tigers (7-1, 4-1 SEC) are still stinging from seeing their title hopes take a hit. They had a bye week to recover from a 24-17 loss at Auburn on Oct. 23, a game in which they allowed a whopping 440 rushing yards - they had allowed only 585 rushing yards in the previous seven games combined.
The run defense will be tested again Saturday, as the Tigers will have to face the formidable duo of reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and electrifying sophomore Trent Richardson. Richardson leads the team with 606 rushing yards and has scored five touchdowns and Ingram is right behind him with 544 yards and eight touchdowns despite missing the first two games of the season after arthroscopic knee surgery.
Richardson, who leads the SEC and ranks second in the nation with 181.8 all-purpose yards per game, also has three receiving touchdowns and a kickoff return for a score.
But Alabama (7-1, 4-1 SEC) is hardly one-dimensional. Senior quarterback Greg McElroy ranks eighth in the nation in passing efficiency (163.35) and has thrown for 1,781 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has a big-time receiver in junior Julio Jones.
Jones leads the team with 45 receptions for 669 yards and three touchdowns. He caught 12 passes for a school-record 221 yards in a 41-10 win against Tennessee on Oct. 23.
That balanced attack will be put to the test against LSU, which hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown in the same game yet this season.
The Tigers lead the SEC in total defense (277.6 yards per game) and passing defense (149.5 yards per game) and rank second in scoring defense (15.6 points per game). LSU ranks in the top 10 in the nation in all three categories.
Alabama's defense had its share of troubles Oct. 9 in a 35-21 loss at South Carolina, but the Tide has turned that around the past two games, holding Mississippi and Tennessee to 10 points each in consecutive SEC victories.
The Tide had its streak of 41 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher snapped against the Vols, as junior Tauren Poole rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries. They'll face a challenge in trying to start a new streak against LSU's Stevan Ridley, who ranks second in the SEC with 90.4 rushing yards per game and has three 100-yard games to his credit this season.
The Tigers have struggled to find consistency under center, as Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee have split time at quarterback for the past four games. Jefferson, who has started each game, gives the Tigers more of a threat to run - his 281 rushing yards rank second behind Ridley - while Lee is a more accurate passer.
Alabama leads the series 45-23-5, including a 25-8-2 record in Baton Rouge. The Tigers had won five straight before the Crimson Tide won the past two meetings, including a 24-15 home win last season.