Alabama vs. LSU: No. 5 Crimson Tide Lead No. 14 Tigers 10-3 at Halftime in Death Valley Defensive Battle

No. 5 Alabama took a 10-3 lead into halftime at No. 14 LSU on Saturday, Nov. 7, thanks to a defense that kept turning back the Tigers deep in Crimson Tide territory. The game was still in progress at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge at the time of writing, so the final score isn’t in yet.

Kickoff came at 3:50 p.m. ET after a long pregame, according to CBS Sports’ live coverage, and ESPN listed the game on ABC. Both teams came in at 6-2.

How the first half played out

Alabama got the ball first after LSU won the toss and deferred. The Crimson Tide opened with a 50-yard drive that ended in a 43-yard Conor Talty field goal, per CBS Sports and WBRZ. LSU answered with a long drive into the red zone but had to settle for a 23-yard Scott Starzyk field goal, and the first quarter ended 3-3.

On the first play of the second quarter, Starzyk missed a 56-yard try wide left, WBRZ reported. Alabama made LSU pay. Quarterback Keelon Russell found tight end Kaleb Edwards over the middle to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams on a handoff around the right side. That put the Tide up 10-3 with just over eight minutes left in the half.

Coleman-Williams was back after missing Alabama’s previous two games. CBS Sports noted he’d had arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a meniscus injury earlier in the season, and he led the team in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns when he got hurt.

Two big defensive stands

The real story of the half was Alabama’s defense. LSU drove into the red zone again late in the second quarter, but Sam Leavitt’s fourth-down pass was batted down at the line, and Alabama took over on downs. Then Leavitt was intercepted in the final minute of the half.

CBS Sports said LSU had piled up 204 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes with only three points to show for it. “We’re moving it, but we’re stalling,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge heading to the locker room, as quoted by CBS Sports.

Why this game matters

The stakes were high on both sides. Alabama sits No. 5 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, well above its No. 9 spot in the AP Top 25, and CBS Sports noted it looks to have an inside track to the 12-team field if it wins out. It’s also the 91st meeting in the series, which is set to come off the annual SEC schedule in 2027.

For Kiffin, in his first season at LSU, this is a chance at his first win over Alabama as a head coach. CBS Sports noted he was 0-5 against the Tide at Tennessee and Ole Miss, all against Nick Saban. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer came in 21-8 against AP-ranked teams.

Before the game, Alabama had scored 17 or fewer points in back-to-back games against ranked teams: a 26-10 loss at Tennessee and a 20-17 loss to Georgia. LSU came in leading the SEC at 318 passing yards a game, per CBS Sports, and oddsmakers had the Tigers as about 6-point favorites close to kickoff.

The Tide lead the all-time series 58-27-5 and had won 13 of the last 15 meetings. Still, LSU is 32-3 in its last 35 games at Tiger Stadium.

A star-studded Tiger Walk

Before the game, Kiffin’s Tiger Walk brought out Kevin Costner, Shaquille O’Neal, Angel Reese and Paul Skenes, CBS Sports reported.

Key moments so far

• 1Q: Talty’s 43-yard field goal puts Alabama up 3-0
• 1Q: Starzyk’s 23-yard field goal ties it 3-3
• 2Q: Starzyk misses a 56-yard try
• 2Q: Coleman-Williams scores on a 1-yard run; Alabama leads 10-3
• 2Q: Alabama stops LSU on fourth down in the red zone
• Late 2Q: Leavitt is intercepted

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