Alabama and LSU will meet in a top-five matchup for the fifth time in eight seasons when the No. 1 Crimson Tide travels to take on the No. 3 Tigers on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT inside Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. This week, BamaInsider will take a look at the past four top-five meetings between the two schools. Today we conclude our series with Alabama’s 30-16 victory over LSU in Bryant-Denny Stadium during the 2015 season.
2015: No. 4 Alabama 30, No. 2 LSU 16
This was not only a top-five matchup but also a battle of Heisman frontrunners. LSU running back Leonard Fournette had rushed for 150 or more yards in the Tigers’ previous seven games, including three straight 200-yard performances against Mississippi State, Syracuse and Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile, Alabama back Derrick Henry was quietly building a Heisman campaign of his own and was coming off of back-to-back dominating performances against Texas A&M and Tennessee.
LSU came into the matchup undefeated while Alabama suffered a 43-37 loss to Ole Miss earlier in the season. Following the upset to the Rebels, Alabama’s second defeat to Ole Miss in as many years, the Crimson Tide’s dynasty was in doubt. However, a win over LSU would give Alabama control of the SEC West and put the Crimson Tide on the fast track to the College Football Playoff.
What happened
Two Heisman contenders entered, and only one emerged. Alabama shut down Fournette, limiting the powerful back to just 31 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, an average of 1.6 yards per attempt. On the other side, Henry gashed the Tigers defense for 210 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries.
With Fournette subdued, LSU managed to gain just 182 yards of total offense as Alabama piled up 434 yards in a physical slugfest. Leading just 13-10 at the half, the Crimson Tide kept a tired Tigers defense on the field, controlling the clock to grind out the win. Alabama held possession for 39:27 compared to just 20:33 for LSU.
How it could have gone differently
Fresh off of three straight 200-yard passing games, LSU quarterback Brandon Harris was abysmal against Alabama. The dual-threat passer completed just 6 of 19 of his attempts through the air for 128 yards with a touchdown and an interception while rushing for 20 yards on five carries.
Harris’ low point came on the first play of LSU’s opening drive in the second half. Rolling out to his right, he was picked off by Alabama linebacker Dillon Lee at the LSU 32-yard line. Four plays later, Henry punched in a 1-yard touchdown to give the Crimson Tide a commanding 20-10 lead.
Harris’ ineffectiveness allowed Alabama to crowd the box and keep Fournette under control. LSU was never able to recover, punting on its next four possessions before Fournette scored a late consolation touchdown in the fourth quarter.
What happened next:
Alabama went on to win its next six games, including a 45-40 victory over Clemson to claim its 16th national title. Henry went on to win the Heisman, rushing for a school-record 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns.
LSU lost its two following games to Arkansas and Ole Miss and finished with a disappointing 9-3 season after defeating Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl. Fournette finished the season with 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. He finished sixth in the Heisman voting.
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