Bama Rant/Recap

Alabama vs. LSU
November 9, 1991

Live from: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Your hosts: Gary Bender and Lynn Swann

Coaches: Curly Hallman for LSU and Gene Stallings for Alabama


1st Quarter: Bender starts the broadcast by letting us know that Danny Woodson has been suspended indefinitely and that Jay Barker will be getting his first start at quarterback. LSU is in their purple jerseys as this is before their most recent change back to the old tradition of white jerseys at home.
Starting lineups:

LSU Offense
QB Chad Loup
FB Leo Abel
TB Vincent Fuller
SE Todd Kinchen
FL Wesley Jacob
TE Anthony Williams
T Kevin Mawae
G Darron Landrey
C Frank Godfrey
G Ronnie Simnicht
T Bryan Madden

Alabama Defense
DE John Copeland
NT Robert Stewart
DE Eric Curry
LB Steve Webb
LB John Sullins
LB Derrick Oden
LB Antonio London
CB Antonio Langham
SS Stacy Harrison
FS George Teague
CB Mark McMillian

LSU gets the ball first to start the game and Loup gets murdered by Copeland which causes a fumble on the first play of scrimmage, but is recovered by LSU. LSU get some of the yards back, but ends up going 3 and out on their first drive. Brian Griffin is out to punt for LSU with David Palmer to receive for Alabama. Palmer fields the punt his own 11, makes one move at the 13 and he’s gone. He goes untouched for an 90 yd punt return for a touchdown. It was over before he got to his 35. It wasn’t even fair. An uncle who was at the game told me that LSU fans started leaving at that point and the game wasn’t even two minutes old. I wasn’t surprised. Bama leads 7-0 with 13:13 remaining in the 1st. LSU starts again on offense and benefits from a roughing the passer penalty on London on the first play. LSU can’t do anything with it and punts to Palmer who fair catches it. More starting lineups…

Alabama Offense
QB Jay Barker
FB Kevin Turner
TB Siran Stacy
SE Kevin Lee
FL Prince Wimbley
TE Steve Busky
T Matt Hammond
G George Wilson
C Tobie Sheils
G William Barger
T Jon Stevenson

Note: Stevenson is the big man on the line coming in at 285 lbs., while Sheils is the “lightweight” at 250 lbs.

LSU Defense
DT Clayton Mouton
NG Scott Wharton
DT Marc Boutte
LB Corey White
LB Ricardo Washington
LB Reggie Walker
LB Shawn King
CB Wayne Williams
SS Rodney Young
FS Anthony Marshall
CB Corey Raymond

On Bama’s second play Palmer goes in motion and takes a pitch for about 12 yards. I seem to remember that being one of Stallings’ favorite plays. Turner gets a handoff on a 2nd down play and rumbles 20 yards while running over two LSU defenders in the process. A facemask penalty added on makes it 1st and 10 from the LSU 13. The LSU defense stiffens up and Matt Wethington boots a FG to make it 10-0 Bama with 6:22 remaining in the 1st. LSU begins their 3rd drive, which is promptly killed by a holding penalty on the first play. It’s really scary how fast this Bama defense is to the ball. As soon as an LSU receiver catches it there are always two or three Bama defenders there to stop them. LSU goes 3 and out again. Penalties kill Bama’s next drive and Tank Williamson punts for the first time in the game. LSU looks to have something going as James Jacquet gains 14 on 1st down. Loup then hits Kinchen on play action for 20 more yards. Two plays later, Loup throws to Mike Garrett for 10 yards to the Alabama 15 and that’s where the 1st quarter ends. Alabama 10 LSU 0.

2nd Quarter: On the second play of the quarter Loup hits Kinchen who makes a GREAT catch for a 15 yard touchdown pass. Alabama still leads 10-7 with 14:14 remaining in the half. Chris Anderson returns the kickoff to the 25. A defensive holding penalty on 3rd down keeps the Alabama drive alive just shy of LSU territory. Derrick Lassic comes in and gains 8 on 1st down. Wimbley makes a diving catch at the 15 for an 18 yard gain. Kevin Turner continues to steamroll the LSU defense with another 10 yard run. Stacy finishes off the drive with a 5 yard run for the touchdown. Nice answer to the LSU TD. Alabama extends the lead to 17-7 with 10:21 to go in the 2nd. LSU takes over on offense and is intercepted by George Teague on the first play and he returns it to the LSU 39. You can hear the groans of apathy by the LSU “faithful.” A clip on the return backs it up to the Alabama 46. Barker fumbles the snap on 2nd down and manages to recover it. Alabama is able to convert a 1st down with a pass to Wimbley and convert another on a Kevin Turner run down to the LSU 32. He has 67 yds on 9 carries thus far. Not bad. In Shula’s offense he would’ve been used to help cover Capps’ ass. I keed, I keed. Next play sees Alabama called for a chop block and is backed up to the LSU 47. Alabama so far has committed 5 penalties for 66 yards. Ouch. Barker is sacked on 3rd and 15 and Bama is forced to punt. Loup connects with Kinchen again on 2nd down for 20 yards down to the Alabama 41. John Sullins is one big dude. Loup scrambles, avoids the entire Alabama front seven and hits Wayne Williams for about 10 yards, but is negated by an offensive facemask penalty. LSU tries a Utah shovel on 2nd and 33, but Eric Curry won’t have any of it and gets the tackle for a loss. Loup scrambles on 3rd down and comes up holding his right shoulder. LSU punts and Bama takes over at their own 27. Barker hits a 25 yard pass to Kevin Lee at the LSU 25 to get Alabama into field goal range with :09 to go. Wethington knocks in the 42 yard field goal to give Alabama a 20-7 lead at halftime.

3rd Quarter: I’m anxious to see how many LSU fans bailed at half. Surprisingly, it’s not that many. Turner currently leads all rushers with 73 yds on 10 carries. LSU kicks off and Anderson returns it to the 24. ABC flashes the final score of the ND/Tenn game, which show the Vols upset the Irish in South Bend 35-34. A stat shows that ND blew a 21-0 lead. I’m willing to bet there was some molesting of family members going on in east Tennessee that night. Anyway, Bama goes 3 and out on their first drive of the 2nd half. Jesse Daigle takes over for the injured Chad Loup at quarterback. LSU starts their drive inside Alabama territory at the 45. After a 9 yd Jacquet run, Alabama is called for offsides on 3rd down and gives LSU a 1st down. Stallings is pissed. Kinchen makes another great sideline catch for 9 yards at the Alabama 22. I forgot how good this guy was. Abel rumbles down to the 13 for a 1st down. Daigle throws it over the middle on 2nd down and it’s almost picked off by Sam Shade. LSU can’t make a 1st down and settles for a Pedro Suarez field goal to cut the lead to 10. Alabama leads 20-10 with 10:55 to go in the 3rd. Kickoff is returned to the 25. Stallings-ball is in full effect. After converting a couple of 1st downs the offense bogs down, which is topped off by an intentional grounding penalty on Barker. Bama punts and LSU takes over at their own 43. Mark McMillian drops a sure interception. Geez. The Bama defense stands tall (again) and LSU goes 3 and out yet again. A nice LSU punt goes out at the Bama 9 yard line. The LSU defense gets Bama to go 3 and out and tries to get the fickle LSU crowd back into it. Kinchen muffs the punt, but falls back on it. As quickly as they were cheering, the LSU fans are now booing again after an incomplete pass on 1st down. These people are insufferable. After a delay of game penalty, Odell Beckham carries it for 9 yards to the Alabama 40. Bama is forced to call timeout on 3rd down due to confusion with personnel. Stallings decides to vent his frustration on the nearest assistant which happens to be Jeff Rouzie. LSU goes for it on the 4th down. A HUGE hit by Teague on Beckham looks to have stopped them short, but an offsides penalty gives LSU the 1st down at the Alabama 30. I mean, Teague just leveled him. London seems to be the guilty party on the penalty as Stallings reads him the riot act as he comes off the field to sit for a bit. After a couple of runs by Jacquet LSU has the ball at the Bama 9. It seems the Alabama defense has been on the field the entire quarter. Langham makes a nice tackle at the 5 to save a TD. That ends the 3rd quarter. Alabama 20 LSU 10.

4th Quarter: On 3rd and Goal from the 7, Daigle rolls out, throws and is intercepted by Langham in the end zone!!! There were 3 white jerseys in the area. Lassic takes a toss on 2nd down for 12 yards to the LSU 36. Stacy carries for 13 more to the 49. Pound the ball and run that clock. Turner gets a couple of more carries and the ball is now at the LSU 34. Bama has 222 yards rushing so far. LSU is 0-8 on 3rd downs. LOVE that punishing Bama defense. LSU is called for pass interference on 3rd down, which would’ve forced Bama to punt. On 1st down from the LSU 25, Stacy get bottled up, changes direction and gains 9 ½. Man, was he shifty. How loaded were were at tailback at that time? On 1st down from the LSU 13, the handoff is mishandled and LSU recovers the loose ball. Dammit. LSU finally converts on 3rd down after a 9 yd completion to Kinchen on the LSU 38. Daigle then completes a nice pass to Scott Ray, who makes a diving catch for 22 yds. Daigle then hits Jacob across the middle on a crossing pattern and he takes it in for a 27 yard touchdown reception. Good job by the Tigers to take advantage of the turnover. 20-17 Alabama leads with 7:32 remaining in the game. The crowd has now been awaken from their day-long slumber to realize that they are now back in the game. On a 2nd down play, a facemask penalty gives Alabama a 1st down. Bama can’t seem to make any yards now, which brings a roar from the crowd after every play. On 3rd down Barker looks for a receiver and gets intercepted by Carlton Buckels at the Alabama 45. But the Alabama defense won’t lie down and tackles Jacquet for a 2 yard loss on 1st down. On 2nd down Daigle is sacked by Copeland for a loss of 5. On 3rd and 17 from their own 48 Daigle hits Kinchen for 16 yds. Kinchen: 7 catches 101 yards. This guy just seems to get lost in the secondary. Another offsides penalty on 4th and 1 gives LSU the 1st. 9 penalties for 99 yards. Double ouch. Daigle on option carries it for 12yards to the Bama 19. 3:15 remaining. LSU gains 8 yards on the next 3 plays and it’s now 4th and 2. 2:49 to go. Hallman opts to kick a field goal to tie it. Suarez on to attempt a 28 yard field goal and it’s….BLOCKED!!!! BLOCKED! Antonio London blocks the field goal! He got up there to block it, too. 2:39 to go, now. Bama has the ball now and converts on 4th and inches on a tough run by Turner. Turner then seals it with a 49 yard run on a 3rd down to give him his best game ever at Alabama with 142 yards rushing. Alabama wins 20-17!



Offensive player of the game: Kevin Turner
Defensive player of the game: Antonio London