We Speak College Football

Alabama Scores the Final 21 Points to Beat LSU 31-13 in Baton Rouge

Published

3 hours ago

November 8, 2026

Alabama players and head coach Kalen DeBoer celebrate the win over LSU in the locker room

Alabama players celebrate with head coach Kalen DeBoer in the locker room after beating LSU 31-13 in Baton Rouge. Photo via Alabama Football.

The stat sheet said LSU should have won. The scoreboard said otherwise. No. 5 Alabama absorbed everything No. 14 LSU threw at it in Tiger Stadium, then scored the final 21 points of the night to walk out with a 31-13 win, head coach Kalen DeBoer’s third straight victory over the Tigers.

Keelon Russell was the difference. The Alabama quarterback completed 17 of 24 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, throwing scoring passes of 7 yards to Josh Ford, 25 yards to Cederian Morgan and 4 yards to Kaleb Edwards. Rico Scott caught three passes for 67 yards, including a 57 yard catch that flipped field position when Alabama needed it most.

LSU outgained Alabama 457 to 285 and piled up 27 first downs to Alabama’s 13. Sam Leavitt completed 35 of 47 passes for 380 yards, and Jackson Harris caught 11 passes for 166 yards. None of it cashed in. The Tigers failed on all four of their fourth down tries, Leavitt threw one interception and no touchdown passes, and LSU’s only trip to the end zone came on a Dilin Jones run. Jones carried 17 times for 56 yards.

The game was tied 3-3 after the first quarter and Alabama led just 10-3 at halftime. LSU pushed in front 13-10 in the third quarter, and that was the end of the Tigers’ night. Alabama answered with three straight touchdowns and closed the door with the kind of late control that has become its signature in this series.

Alabama improves to 7-2 and 5-2 in the SEC, very much alive in the conference race. LSU drops to 6-3 and 3-3 in the league, left to explain how 457 yards of offense produced only 13 points.

We Speak College Football

Statement In Beaumont: No. 12 Lamar Knocks Off No. 2 Stephen F. Austin 45-28 In The FCS Game Of The Week

Published

52 minutes ago

November 8, 2026

Julie Isbell

Lamar quarterback Aiden McCown hands the ball off to running back Parker Jenkins against Stephen F. Austin at Provost Umphrey Stadium

Lamar quarterback Aiden McCown hands off to Parker Jenkins against Stephen F. Austin at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont. Photo by Julie Isbell.

This was the biggest game in the FCS this weekend, and it played like it. On Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, No. 12 Lamar beat No. 2 Stephen F. Austin 45-28 in the STATS Perform FCS Game of the Week, a showdown between the top two teams in the Southland Conference. The Cardinals never trailed, answered every Lumberjacks comeback, and pulled into a tie for first place in the Southland with two weeks left in the regular season. Photographer Julie Isbell was on the sideline for We Speak Media.

The Fast Start

Lamar opened the game like a team that had been waiting for it. Andres Sandoval kicked a 27 yard field goal, Aiden McCown found Davin Driskell for a 7 yard touchdown late in the first quarter, and Parker Jenkins added a 3 yard touchdown run in the second quarter to build a 17-0 lead. Stephen F. Austin finally answered just before halftime, when Gavin Rutherford hit Clayton Wayland for a 22 yard touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half.

Every Answer

*Stephen F. Austin quarterback Gavin Rutherford throws against Lamar. Photo by Julie Isbell.*

The second half turned into a heavyweight exchange. Stephen F. Austin cut the Lamar lead to three points three separate times, and every time the Cardinals answered with a touchdown of their own. Jenkins capped an eight play, 75 yard drive with a 13 yard touchdown run, and McCown connected with Driskell again to push the lead back to ten. The loudest moment came late: JT Kitna found Bugs Mortimer for a 71 yard touchdown that pulled the Lumberjacks within 31-28. On the next Lamar possession, McCown hit Blake Thomas for a 62 yard touchdown strike with 4:45 remaining to make it 38-28.

The Close

The defense finished it. Alexandre Dedieu strip sacked the quarterback on Stephen F. Austin’s next play and Lamar recovered, setting up Jenkins’ third rushing touchdown of the night, a 4 yard run that sealed the 45-28 final.

By The Numbers

*The Stephen F. Austin offense huddles its ground game against Lamar. Photo by Julie Isbell.*

McCown completed 17 of 29 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns. Jenkins carried 30 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns in a career night. Lamar rolled up 488 total yards, including 181 on the ground, scored on all five of its red zone trips, and held the ball for 12 minutes longer than the Lumberjacks. Stephen F. Austin turned the ball over four times, two fumbles and two interceptions, including picks by Bryce McDonald and Mar Mar Evans, and Lamar turned those mistakes into 17 points. For the Lumberjacks, Wayland caught nine passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Quarter by quarter: Lamar led 10-0 after the first, 17-7 at the half, and the teams traded 14 points each in the third before Lamar closed the fourth quarter 14-7.

What It Means

The loss is Stephen F. Austin’s first of the season, ending a 19 game regular season winning streak that was the longest active run across the FBS and FCS. The Lumberjacks fall to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the Southland. Lamar improves to 8-2 and 6-1, and now owns the head to head tiebreaker in the race for the Southland’s automatic playoff bid. The Cardinals are home again on Saturday, November 14, hosting East Texas A&M, while Stephen F. Austin travels to UT Rio Grande Valley.