Tiger Stadium was a madhouse on Saturday afternoon with over 102,000 in the building for a matchup between the 13th ranked LSU Tigers (6-1, 3-1 SEC) and the 2nd ranked Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC). The Tiger faithful proved to be too much for Kirby Smart’s team to handle as the Tigers came away with an impressive 36-16 win.
After exchanging punts on their opening drives, LSU got on the board with Cole Tracy drilling a 33-yard field goal to give them an early lead. Georgia started to put a drive together and got to the Tigers 16-yard-line and lined up for what seemed like a field goal attempt, but the fake field goal attempt failed when Grant Delpit sniffed it out.
The Tigers capitalized on the early mistake with a 12-play, 84-yard drive that was capped off by a one-yard run on fourth and inches by Joe Burrow to make it 10-0 early in the second quarter. After forcing a three-and-out on the next drive, LSU quickly got in field goal range thanks to a 50-yard pass to Justin Jefferson and made it 13-0 after Tracy nailed one from 36 yards out.
LSU was able to make it a 16-point ballgame headed into the half thanks to another one from Tracy.
The Bulldogs opened up the second half with a 40-yard field goal from Rodrigo Blankenship to chip away at the lead. However, Tracy responded with his third field goal of the afternoon, this time from 24 yards out to make it 19-3.
Elijah Holyfield got Georgia into the endzone late in the third quarter from 10 yards out to make it a 10-point ballgame. LSU’s defense stepped up in a big way with a three-and-out to force them to punt. That led to a quick march down the field highlighted by a 36-yard pass to Justin Jefferson to the Georgia 18-yard-line. Two plays later, Burrow got into the endzone once again with a one-yard run.
LSU’s special teams came up huge on the ensuing kickoff with Avery Atkins recovering a fumble on the kickoff by Mecole Hardman. That set up another field goal for Tracy to make it a 20-point ballgame.
Jake Fromm got the Bulldogs within 13 points late in the ballgame with a 27-yard pass to Riley Ridley, but the Tigers were able to land the knockout punch and send Death Valley into a frenzy with a four-yard run courtesy of Nick Brossette.
LSU will return to action against the Missisisspi State Bulldogs (4-2, 1-2 SEC) on Saturday with kickoff set for 6 pm.
-Clint Domingue