First half done, and for me this has been the defensive clinic of the century.
At the half – LSU and Alabama are tied at three. While many complain about the offense, or lack thereof, this – my friends – is how football should be played. Two great teams. Two great coaching staffs. Trading shot after shot, a chess match.
With the two teams entering the locker room tied at 3-3, it marks the lowest scoring first half in an Alabama game since the Florida State Seminoles and the Crimson Tide went into the intermission scoreless on Sept. 29, 2007. Alabama and LSU have ended the first half with 7-3 scores in the previous two meetings.
On 31 plays in the first half, Alabama has 181 total yards good for a 5.8 yard per play average. (116 yards passing – 65 yards rushing)
On 27 plays in the first half, LSU has 124 total yards good for a 4.6 yard per play average. (61 passing – 63 rushing)
Trent Richardson leads all rushers with 11 for 53 – ahead of LSU’s Michael Ford who has 5 for 39.
Alabama junior running back Trent Richardson became the 11th Tide player to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season and it marks the 15th time that an Alabama rusher has achieved that milestone. Richardson entered the game with 989 yards on the season and was able to eclipse the coveted benchmark on the first play of the game, running for 18 yards over left end.
LSU played both quarterbacks – as expected – in the first half. Jordan Jefferson closed out the half 2-of-5 for 37 yards while Jarrett Lee was 3-of-6 for 24 and an interception.
AJ McCarron was 8-of-13 for 116 yards for Alabama.
Alabama has allowed seven points or less in 13 of its last 14 first halves of play. Over that span, the Crimson Tide has surrendered just three points or less on eight occasions, including four shutouts. UA had a streak of nine straight games of allowing seven points or less before allowing 10 points in the first half to Florida on Oct. 1.
Alabama’s scoring yield in the first half of its last 14 games:
3 – at LSU (Nov. 6, 2010)
3 – Mississippi State (Nov. 13, 2010)
7 – Georgia State (Nov. 18, 2010)
7 – Auburn (Nov. 26, 2010)
0 – vs. Michigan State (Jan. 1, 2011)
0 – Kent State (Sept. 3, 2011)
3 – at Penn State (Sept. 10, 2011)
0 – North Texas (Sept. 17, 2011)
7 – Arkansas (Sept. 24, 2011)
10 – at Florida (Oct. 1, 2011)
0 – Vanderbilt (Oct. 8, 2011)
7 – at Mississippi (Oct. 15, 2011)
6 – Tennessee (Oct. 22, 2011)
3 – LSU (Nov. 5, 2011)
Alabama head coach Nick Saban said at the half:
“It’s tough out there. We have to finish moving the ball down the field offensively. We got to the 30-yard line four times and missed three field goals. That’s where we’ve just got to get points on the board and get down the field and into the end zone.”
