Tide barely survive in Saban's return to LSU
- |
With a heavy police escort, Nick Saban returned to Tiger Stadium wearing crimson. He barely got out with top-ranked Alabama still unbeaten.
After the Crimson Tide missed a short field goal on the final play of regulation, John Parker Wilson scored on a 1-yard sneak in overtime to give Alabama a 27-21 win over No. 15 Louisiana State yesterday in Baton Rouge, La., clinching a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
The Tide (10-0, 6-0) have their eyes on a bigger prize, of course, and stayed on course for their first national title in 16 years. This was their toughest test yet, coming at a school Saban led to a share of the national championship in 2003.
The coach is now reviled by many LSU faithful, who consider him a traitor for turning up at rival Alabama just two years after he left Baton Rouge for the NFL. He was booed when he came on the field, surrounded by a larger-than-usual contingent of state troopers that grew to a dozen by the time the game finally ended.
"It's really not sweeter clinching the [SEC] West in Tiger Stadium," Saban said, his voice rising. "It really isn't. My emotions for this place are positive, not negative. I didn't leave LSU to go to Alabama. I left LSU to go to Miami."
After Charles Scott tied it for LSU (6-3, 3-3) on a 1-yard TD run with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Alabama drove into position to win it. With three seconds left, Leigh Tiffin lined up for a 29-yard field goal, but his kick was low and Ricky Jean-Francois swiped it away with his right hand.
LSU got the ball first in overtime, only to give away even a shot at the field goal when Jarrett Lee threw his fourth interception - the third pick of the game by Alabama's Rashad Johnson, tying the school record. The Tide didn't even bother with another field goal try.
Wilson hit Julio Jones along the sideline, and the freshman dragged his defender to the 1 for a 24-yard gain. LSU stuffed the Tide on first down, but Wilson powered across on the next play.
Glen Coffee rushed for 126 yards, including a 3-yard TD that put Alabama ahead, 21-14, in the third quarter.
Florida 42, Vanderbilt 14 - Tim Tebow threw for three TDs and ran for two more, and the No. 4 Gators rolled in Nashville to clinch the SEC Eastern Division title for the second time in three years.
Florida (8-1, 6-1) earned the right to face Alabama Dec. 6 in Atlanta by scoring on its first four possessions. Tebow tormented the Commodores (5-4, 4-3) by rushing for 88 yards and throwing for 171 before leaving midway through the third quarter.
Texas Tech 56, Oklahoma St. 20 - Graham Harrell finished 40 of 50 for 456 yards and six TDs, three to Michael Crabtree, and the second-ranked Red Raiders found the end zone on seven straight possessions to blow out the No. 8 Cowboys in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech (10-0, 6-0) won its 12th in a row, the longest streak in the nation and best in school history, in gearing up for Oklahoma in two weeks, the last big step toward clinching the Big 12 South title. Oklahoma State (8-2, 4-2) was looking to create a four-way tie atop the division.
Texas 45, Baylor 21 - Colt McCoy passed for 300 yards and five TDs, Ryan Palmer returned an interception 22 yards for a tiebreaking score, and the No. 5 Longhorns picked up a much-needed rebound victory at home a week after their last-second loss at Texas Tech.
Texas (9-1, 5-1 Big 12) scored on its first two drives before Baylor (3-7, 1-5) tied it by scoring twice in four minutes. The Longhorns went ahead to stay when Palmer picked off a deflected pass and ran into the end zone.
Oklahoma 66, Texas A&M 28 - Sam Bradford threw TD passes to four receivers, Chris Brown ran for three scores, and the sixth-ranked Sooners started fast again in blowing out the Aggies in College Station, Texas.
DeMarco Murray, Matt Clapp, Ryan Broyles, and Juaquin Iglesias had TD catches and Bradford had a scoring run for Oklahoma (9-1, 5-1 Big 12), which set a single-game scoring record for an opponent at Kyle Field.
Southern Cal 17, California 3 - The seventh-ranked Trojans got two TD passes from Mark Sanchez in Los Angeles, but also a suffocating defensive effort that held the No. 21 Bears 33 points below their scoring average.
USC (8-1, 6-1 Pac-10) has allowed an NCAA-low 6.7 points per game, and only 13 points in the second half. The Trojans limited the Bears (6-3, 4-2) to 27 yards on 26 carries and 165 yards of total offense.
Boise St. 49, Utah St. 14 - The No. 9 Broncos (9-0, 5-0 WAC) rolled up 563 total yards and forced six turnovers by the Aggies (2-8, 2-4) to cruise at home.
Kellen Moore threw for 362 yards and two scores, and two Boise State receivers threw TD passes.
Ohio St. 45,
Mike Kafka ran for 83 yards and a score and passed for 177 yards for Northwestern (7-3, 3-3).
Missouri 41, Kansas St. 24 - Jeremy Maclin scored three TDs and totaled 278 all-purpose yards, helping the No. 13 Tigers (8-2, 4-2) shake off a slow start in their home finale and grab first place in the Big 12 North.
Georgia 42, Kentucky 38 - Matthew Stafford threw for 376 yards and the go-ahead TD to A.J. Green with 1:54 remaining as the 14th-ranked Bulldogs (8-2, 5-2 SEC) survived a major scare from the Wildcats in Lexington, Ky.
BYU 41, San Diego St. 12 - Max Hall tossed three TD passes, two to Austin Collie, and the 17th-ranked Cougars (9-1, 5-1 Mountain West) closed out their third straight unbeaten season at home and set a school record with 18 home victories in a row.
Michigan St. 21, Purdue 7 - Playing in his final home game, Javon Ringer ran for 121 yards and two TDs, and the No. 18 Spartans (9-2, 6-1) stayed alive in the Big Ten hunt by dominating the Boilermakers (3-7, 1-5) in their tuneup for a Nov. 22 showdown at Penn State.
Cincinnati 26, West Virginia 23 - Tony Pike threw a 2-yard TD pass to Kazeem Alli in overtime, lifting the visiting Bearcats (7-2, 3-1) past the No. 20 Mountaineers (6-3, 3-1) and creating a three-way tie atop the Big East with Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh 41, Louisville 7 - Star running back LeSean McCoy was held to a career-low 39 yards rushing, but the No. 25 Panthers (7-2, 3-1 Big East) still rolled at home by turning four turnovers by the Cardinals (5-4, 1-3) into scores.
