Ken Rogers column: Tide sticks with gameplan on offense

TUSCALOOSA — Alabama fans partied like it was 1999 Saturday night.

Of course, that’s how long it had been since the Crimson Tide last defeated LSU in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“I can’t thank our fans enough,” Saban said. “What a tremendous atmosphere to play a football game in.”

Tide fans saw a lot to like in the fourth quarter of the 24-15 victory over the Tigers. Simply put, the stars came out. Running back Mark Ingram wore down the Bayou Bengals. The Crimson Tide defense held the visitors to nine yards of offense and one first down in the final 15 minutes. And Julio Jones’ lightning strike 73-yard touchdown catch-and-run erased a deficit.

But there was more. Nick Saban did more than talk about opening up the offense and trusting his players. He did it.

“We kind of knew that our destiny was ours …,” Saban said after his team sealed its second consecutive trip to the SEC Championship Game, a rematch with top-ranked Florida that will come on Dec. 5. “We knew it was about what we would do in the game.”

With a Heisman candidate averaging more than six yards every time he touches the football, it must be tempting to simply climb on Mark Ingram’s back and have him carry the load. That, in fact, is what had happened in the three games going into the bye week.

Saturday, Saban made sure all of his playmakers were involved on offense.

“It was a little different way to play our hand, but I thought it worked effectively and hopefully surprised them a bit in the beginning,” Saban said.

After quarterback Greg McElroy and receivers Marquis Maze, Darius Hanks and Jones had spread the LSU defense, Ingram gashed the Tigers for 106 yards after halftime. The passing game was effective, but didn’t produce points and people were squirming with Alabama trailing 7-3 at halftime. Saban believed in the plan, however.

“We moved the ball well, changed field position a lot in the first half, but it didn’t pay off in points,” the coach said. “But I think the resiliency the players showed in the second half in continuing to compete, as the game went on we got more and more control of the line of scrimmage and more control of the game.”

The defense was tested by a no-huddle LSU offense designed to keep Alabama from substituting for specific down-and-distance situations. The Tigers executed a 91-yard drive early in the second quarter, twice converting on third down, and scored the game’s first points.

LSU clearly owned momentum after a safety trimmed Alabama’s lead to 10-9 in the third quarter. Les Miles’ team then needed just six plays to go 59 yards and go up 15-10.

Saban knows his team is talented. But no coach really learns about his club until it is tested as Alabama was at that point. The coach sounded impressed with the answers his team provided under adversity.

“We kept playing, we kept competing, made plays that we needed to make,” Saban said. “Even when they got the safety … we persevered through that and changed the momentum back again.”

And once the Tide claimed control, Saban was eager to put the hammer down. With Alabama ahead 21-15 and more than seven minutes remaining, P.J. Fitzgerald punted LSU down to its 6-yard line. LSU was penalized for running into the kicker. Saban took the penalty and went for it on fourth-and-1 from the LSU 45. Ingram gained three yards, Alabama ended up having the ball 6:14 on that drive and kicked a clinching field goal.

He showed faith in his offensive line and his defense with that move.

“I felt like when it’s inside of one yard, you have to confidence in your players that they can get it,” Saban said. “I think two things: we needed a field goal to make it a two-score game and it was just all about being aggressive. I think sometimes you have to be aggressive in situations like that.”

He thought a moment and added, “Those are only good decisions when they work. If it didn’t work, it would have been a horrible one.”