TUSCALOOSA| For Alabama Saturday night’s 9-6 overtime loss to LSU was a story of missed opportunities. The Crimson Tide missed four field goals on the night, including a 52-yard attempt by Cade Foster in over time. The Tigers would then end the game, as LSU kicked knocked in a 25-yard field goal to win the game.
“We had lots of opportunities in the game that we did not take advantage of,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said.
Alabama found itself driving in LSU territory early in the fourth quarter as a 24-yard run from running back Trent Richardson took the Tide to the LSU 28. The Tide appeared ready to score and take control of the game.
However, the next play would turn any bit of momentum the Tide had in reverse.
On first down, Alabama came out with their bobcat package– a package that features wide receiver Marquis Maze taking the snap. Maze surprisingly dropped back to pass, floating a ball to the one-yard line where LSU defender Eric Reid snatched it out of the hands of Alabama tight end Michael Williams.
“I got a little pressure so I had to get it up,” Maze said. “I though (Williams) came down with it, but the call on the feel stood up. It is a hurtful feeling giving up a turnover.”
The play had proved successful in the past as Maze connected with Williams for a touchdown in last season’s game against Florida.
“We have that play and we use Maze back there a little bit,” Saban said. “He made a good throw, we had an opportunity to catch the play. We didn’t finish the play.”
After stopping the Tigers on a three-and-out it appeared Alabama would receive favorable field position on its next possession. However, Maze failed to receive the punt resulting in a 73-yard punt to place Alabama at its own 18.
“The camera that is on the field, (the ball) kind of hit the strings on it,” Maze said. “It kind of messed me up. It was better for us to get it back there than for me to try and field the ball and muff it.”
By rule, if the ball did indeed hit a wire it would be ruled a dead ball. However, Maze said that no one brought up the play to the officials.
Though the loss is a hard one for Tide players to swallow, Saban stressed that there was plenty of football still left to be played.
“We need to learn from this,” Saban said. “We need to make a commitment to the rest of the season in terms of the kind of football team we want to be and the way we want to respond to what happened here today.”
Due to the game’s close score, it is not impossible that the two teams could meet up again for the BCS National Championship game.
“If it happens it happens,” linebacker Nico Johnson said. “The only thing we can control is what we do down the road. It is never over, it’s football. We have another chance to play next Saturday.”
