No. 5 Alabama erased a late fourth-quarter deficit to defeat No. 14 LSU 31-13 on November 7, 2026, at Tiger Stadium, handing first-year Tigers coach Lane Kiffin his sixth career defeat against the Crimson Tide.
The final annual rivalry meeting in Baton Rouge unspooled in front of a sold-out crowd of 102,321 spectators that featured first lady Melania Trump, actor Kevin Costner, former LSU basketball greats Shaquille O’Neal and Angel Reese and former LSU pitcher Paul Skenes, as reported by USA Today. For three quarters, the game unfolded as a tight defensive struggle. LSU running back Dilin Jones capped a 90-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run with 2 minutes and 44 seconds remaining in the third period, giving the Tigers a 13-10 advantage according to Sports Illustrated.
That lead evaporated in an instant. On the very next scrimmage play, Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell hit Rico Scott for a 57-yard gain to the LSU 18-yard line noted Tiger Rag. Three plays later, Russell connected with tight end Josh Ford for a 7-yard touchdown, putting the Crimson Tide ahead 17-13 with 36 seconds left in the third quarter detailed Sports Illustrated. Alabama outscored LSU 21-0 in the fourth quarter to turn a narrow contest into a lopsided victory.
“It got kind of ugly there in the end.” … Lane Kiffin on getting outscored 21-0 late as LSU signed off on annual series with Bama early. Updated gamer w/quotes: https://t.co/eFj99aXmSw
— https://x.com/SportBeatTweet/status/2119241648597016739
LSU Wastes Yardage Advantage with Failed Conversions
Despite finishing with 457 total yards of offense compared to Alabama’s 285 and running 28 more plays noted Sports Illustrated, LSU failed to capitalize on its yardage advantage. Entering the contest averaging 17 points in the first half—including 31 two weeks prior against Auburn and 21 the previous weekend versus Mississippi State—the home side could muster only a single field goal before halftime. The Tigers went 0-for-4 on fourth-down conversion attempts, missed a 56-yard field goal, and threw an interception to linebacker Luke Metz at the Alabama 24-yard line according to Sports Illustrated. Four red-zone trips yielded only 10 points for the home side reported USA Today.
It comes down to the red zone and fourth downs,
Lane Kiffin, head coach of the LSU Tigers
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt finished the night reflecting on how quickly the scoreboard shifted. It just got out of hand really quick. It just kind of shocks you,
Leavitt said reported USA Today. Like, wow, it’s 31-13 right now? I thought we were just about to go win the game.
This is how a college football team outgains another by 172 yards and loses 31-13. @kacehk https://t.co/k6HrS0Qx7H
— https://x.com/SportBeatTweet/status/2119252478529020116
Keelon Russell Plays Through Injury to Spark Crimson Tide
Alabama’s offense rallied behind its freshman quarterback, who briefly exited the game in the second half after taking a sack from LSU safety Ty Benefield that sent him to the medical tent reported Tide1009. Russell returned with his ankle heavily taped to orchestrate the game-clinching scoring drives noted Sports Illustrated.
I knew going into the tent, I just had to keep my confidence, keep myself optimistic, keep myself going. I didn’t want to see my team down. We went into this fight; they knew they needed me. I trust in everybody on this team, and those guys just keep pouring into me and, through the grace of God, it wasn’t a big injury, and I was able to step back on the field and give it my all.
Keelon Russell, quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide
Russell finished the evening completing 17 of 24 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns without turning the ball over according to Sports Illustrated. His performance helped secure a bounce-back win for Kalen DeBoer’s squad, which entered the weekend ranked No. 5 in the initial College Football Playoff poll reported Fox News.
Kiffin Falls to Winless Record Against Alabama
The defeat drops Kiffin’s all-time record against Alabama to 0-6, spanning his tenures as head coach of Tennessee in 2009, Ole Miss from 2020 to 2023, and LSU noted Sports Illustrated. Following the contest, ESPN analyst and former LSU All-American defensive lineman Booger McFarland posted on social media that the Crimson Tide had secured its postseason placement. It also marks the final annual meeting between the two SEC programs before the conference shifts to a nine-game schedule with rotating matchups through 2030 reported Audacy. The teams will not play next season for the first time since 1963 noted Audacy.
With the loss, No. 14 LSU drops to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in conference play, leaving the program needing to win out and secure significant assistance to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019 noted Tiger Rag. LSU returns to Tiger Stadium on November 14 to host Texas reported WAFB.
Starzyk good on the opening drive of the 2nd half 3Q | 11:43 | LSU 6, Alabama 10 pic.twitter.com/KVyWMmXqLE
— https://x.com/LSUfootball/status/2119198391762559014
More on Tiger Stadium
NEW: #LSU's red zone and fourth-down problems on Saturday stemmed from a struggling run game. On a frustrating night of offense for LSU:https://t.co/aReddfWfez
— https://x.com/KokiRiley/status/2119243706469580978
LSU gives Lane Kiffin: The biggest contract in the SEC, the most expensive roster in the country, a Vanity Fair feature, Shaq and Kevin Costner walking into the stadium Lane Kiffin gives LSU: 0-3 vs. top 25 teams. What happened? https://t.co/4BHoTciq3B
— https://x.com/ShehanJeyarajah/status/2119242381564502337