The rain started coming down early in Baton Rouge, and honestly, you could feel the tension in the air before the first whistle even blew. Everyone knew what was at stake. This wasn't just another Saturday night in the SEC; the Alabama LSU game 2024 was basically a playoff elimination match. If you lose, you're likely out. If you win, the road to the 12-team College Football Playoff stays open.
Bama didn't just win. They dismantled them.
The final score was 42-13, but even that doesn't quite capture how one-sided this thing felt by the third quarter. Jalen Milroe didn't just play well; he looked like a video game character. While people expected a shootout between him and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, what we got instead was a masterclass in "Joyless Murderball," as some fans like to call it.
The Night Jalen Milroe Became a Superpower
If you were watching closely, you saw Jalen Milroe do something few quarterbacks ever do in Tiger Stadium. He ran for 185 yards. On just 12 carries. That’s an average of over 15 yards every time he decided to tuck the ball and go.
He didn't just move the chains; he broke the spirit of the LSU defense.
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Milroe finished with four rushing touchdowns. His longest was a 72-yard sprint at the start of the fourth quarter that basically turned the lights out on any hopes of an LSU comeback. It was a career-high rushing day for him, and it marked the second year in a row he absolutely torched the Tigers on the ground.
Kalen DeBoer mentioned after the game that Milroe has a "superpower" when it comes to running, and it's hard to disagree. Most dual-threat guys are looking for 5-10 yards. Milroe is looking for the end zone every time he clears the line of scrimmage.
Key Stats from the Crimson Tide Victory
- Jalen Milroe: 12/18 passing (109 yards), 185 rushing yards, 4 TDs.
- Alabama Defense: Forced 3 turnovers (2 interceptions, 1 fumble).
- LSU Rushing: Only managed 104 yards as a team.
- Total Offense: Alabama outgained LSU 420 to 343.
Why LSU’s Offense Stalled Out
Garrett Nussmeier has an arm, no doubt about it. He threw for 239 yards, but those numbers are kind of empty when you look at the context. The Alabama defense, led by coordinator Kane Wommack, played lights out. They sat back, dared LSU to run, and then punished Nussmeier when he tried to force things into tight windows.
One of the biggest turning points happened in the third quarter. LSU had a chance. They had marched the ball down to the Alabama 5-yard line. A touchdown there makes it a game. Instead, Nussmeier threw a crushing interception to linebacker Deontae Lawson.
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That was it. The air went out of the stadium.
LSU's only touchdown came with 11 seconds left in the game—a 12-yard pass to Kyren Lacy. By then, the stadium was mostly empty except for the pockets of fans in Crimson who stayed to sing "Rammer Jammer" in the rain.
What This Meant for the Playoff Race
Before this game, both teams were sitting at 6-2. In the first-ever 12-team playoff era, a third loss is almost always a death sentence, especially in a conference as top-heavy as the SEC.
Alabama jumped to #10 in the following CFP rankings, firmly putting them in the driver's seat for a postseason berth. For LSU, the loss was a gut punch that effectively ended their playoff aspirations and started a lot of "what went wrong" conversations in Baton Rouge.
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The Tide's ability to win on the road in one of the most hostile environments in sports proved that the Kalen DeBoer era wasn't going to see a massive drop-off from the Saban years—at least not yet. They showed a level of physicality that LSU simply couldn't match.
Misconceptions About the Matchup
A lot of people thought the rain would favor LSU because they had a "more traditional" offense. Kinda the opposite happened. The slick conditions made it harder for LSU’s timing-based passing game, while Alabama just leaned on their massive offensive line and Milroe’s legs.
Another thing people get wrong: they think LSU's defense was just "bad." Honestly, Alabama’s scheme just put them in impossible conflict. When you have to account for Milroe as a runner, you lose the ability to double-team guys like Ryan Williams or Jam Miller. It’s a pick-your-poison scenario that Brian Kelly’s staff couldn't solve all night.
Actionable Takeaways from the 2024 Rivalry
If you're looking back at this game to understand the future of these two programs, here is what you need to keep in mind:
- Quarterback Mobility is Non-Negotiable: In the modern SEC, having a statue in the pocket is a liability. Milroe’s legs were the literal difference-maker.
- Turnover Margin Wins Big Games: Alabama didn't turn the ball over once. LSU turned it over three times. You can't give a top-10 team extra possessions and expect to survive.
- The "Death Valley" Myth: While Tiger Stadium is loud, it doesn't matter if the visiting team scores early. Alabama's 75-yard opening drive TD silenced the crowd before they could even get settled.
If you’re a fan or a bettor looking at future matchups between these two, always look at the rushing stats. Since 2020, the team that wins the ground battle in this series has almost always walked away with the win. In 2024, Alabama didn't just win the ground battle—they dominated it 311 to 104. That’s the whole story right there.
Watch for how LSU adjusts their defensive recruiting specifically to handle mobile QBs, because right now, Jalen Milroe has provided the blueprint for how to beat them. For Alabama, the goal is simple: keep Milroe healthy and let him run. When he’s north of 100 yards on the ground, the Tide is nearly impossible to beat.