Five takeaways from LSU’s blowout loss to Alabama

LSU’s defense was an embarrassment against one of the top offenses in the country, but there were a couple of positive spins to observe too.

LSU had a rough outing on their home field on Saturday night against No. 1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide scored the third-largest blowout in series history against LSU with a 55-17 win against the Tigers, thus clinching their spot in the SEC Championship Game. But was it as bad as the score would indicate for LSU?

Well, yeah. It was pretty bad. Here are five observations from the game as LSU begins to come down the final stretch of its 2020 season.

How much blame goes to Bo Pelini?

Alabama scored touchdowns on each of their first five offensive possessions in the first half. Giving up 35 points on your first five defensive series is troubling for any team. This is especially the case for one of the highest-paid defensive coordinator who has come under plenty of fire as the season has progressed. It will be easy to pile on defensive coordinator Bo Pelini this week following this performance against Alabama, but considering the Crimson Tide do this to every opponent, should Pelini be taking any more criticism than he typically has this year?

Yes, probably.

Alabama has an absolutely loaded offense. There is no mistake about that. And LSU’s defense does not have the kind of depth it typically does for a variety of reasons. But this is still LSU, and the defense was an embarrassment from the start of the game against the team that typically stands in LSU’s way in the division. On your home field. This was not a good look for Pelini.

TJ Finley avoided crucial mistakes

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron chewed into young starting quarterback TJ Finley last week following an ill-advised pass that wound up going for a Texas A&M touchdown in the second half. Againats Alabama, Finley remained the starting quarterback and he avoided making similar mistakes. Finley didn’t have an overly impressive night in the box score, but he didn’t make the kind of mistake that would lead to an easy Alabama score (as if Alabama needed the help). And perhaps if LSU decided to let Finley pick up an early first down on the first offensive series of the game, things could have turned out at least a little bit different.

John Emery Jr. brought some juice to the running game

LSU’s rushing attack was virtually non-existent a week ago against a stingy Texas A&M defense. The running game wasn’t able to be a major factor against Alabama as the game got away from LSU early, but there were some positive moments from running back John Emery Jr. Emery Jr. led the Tigers with 79 rushing yards and a touchdown. He did so on seven rushing attempts, averaging 11.3 yards per rushing attempt. But 54 of those yards came on one play.

DeVonta Smith enjoyed a return to Louisiana

It always stings when one of the top high school players in Louisiana decides to head to Alabama. On Saturday night, wid receiver DeVonta Smith returned to the state to pour some salt on the recruiting wound. Smith caught eight passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns for quite a night to add to his personal highlight reel.

And you can’t quite blame LSU for not preparing to face Smith. Head coach Ed Orgeron said it was stressed in the defensive game plan. It just didn’t work.

Alabama is just in a class of their own

As much as LSU would like to think they are on the same level as Alabama, especially after last season, the reality is they just are not. Alabama has won nine out of the last 10 meetings in the series. Six of Alabama’s last seven wins against LSU have been decided by double-digits. The 2019 result was certainly the exception to the rule during LSU’s historic season.

This 2020 matchup will be tough to prove the gap is closing between the two programs. In fact, it could do more damage in suggesting the gap has widened in favor of Alabama more than it ever has before.

There is something to be said about getting your first taste of a big game like this one. And if LSU got all of the lumps out of the way for its youngest players against Alabama, LSU can only hope that leads to a much more competitive game when these teams are scheduled to square off again in 2021.

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