Alabama vs. LSU Recap: Russell's 3 TD Passes Flip It Late

Alabama won 31-13 at LSU, but for three quarters this was a fight. LSU led 13-10 after a Dilin Jones 5-yard touchdown run with 2:44 left in the third. Alabama answered with three straight touchdown passes from Keelon Russell: 7 yards to Josh Ford with 36 seconds left in the third, 25 yards to Cederian Morgan and 4 yards to Kaleb Edwards in the fourth. LSU outgained Alabama 457-285 and threw for 380 yards, but turned it over twice while Alabama had 0 turnovers. Two DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

ALT: Alabama +6.5 (-125 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Alabama had covered this number in 8 of its last 10 and 7 of 8 this season (4 of its last 5). Our model had it at 78% vs about 56% implied at -125. - What happened: Alabama won outright by 18, clearing the number by 24.5. Even at the low point, trailing 13-10 late in the third, the ticket was still covering. - Worth watching: Getting points with a team that wins outright is the best version of this angle. The gap between our number and the market was the reason we played it, and that gap is what to look for again.

ALT: Alabama over 16.5 points (-350 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Alabama scored 17+ in 8 of its last 10 and 7 of its last 8 road games, averaging 34 over its last 10, while DraftKings implied 23.3. - What happened: This one was in doubt longer than the final suggests. Alabama sat at 10 points until the Ford touchdown made it 17-13 with 36 seconds left in the third, which cleared the line. The Crimson Tide finished with 31, 14.5 over. - Worth watching: The floor held, but it took until the final seconds of the third quarter. At -350 the price leaves no room for a slow night, so this is a better fit as a supporting piece than a big standalone stake.

How the game played out

Russell was efficient when it mattered, completing 17 of 24 passes for 206 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Rico Scott added a 57-yard catch among his 3 grabs for 67 yards. Alabama's run game never got going, with 79 rushing yards on 29 attempts, and it converted just 3 of 11 third downs.

LSU moved the ball through the air. Sam Leavitt completed 35 of 47 passes for 380 yards, and Jackson Harris caught 11 passes for 166 yards. But the Tigers settled for two Scott Starzyk field goals, ran for only 77 yards and finished with 0 passing touchdowns.

Trends to watch

• Alabama's late-game finishing: 21 straight points to close it after trailing in the third quarter.
• Turnover margin: LSU 2, Alabama 0, which outweighed LSU's 172-yard edge in total offense on the scoreboard.
• LSU's ground game: 77 rushing yards on 33 attempts left the Tigers one-dimensional.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. Learn how a point spread and an alt line work, or check the CFB hub.