Alabama vs. LSU: Game Grades, Analysis for Crimson Tide and Tigers

The No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 16 LSU Tigers needed extra time to decide the Southeastern Conference battle, but Nick Saban's team earned a 20-13 victory.

It was an exciting night in Death Valley, and the inconsistent grades reflect what was a back-and-forth contest.

Positional Unit	1st-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B	B+
Run Offense	C	C+
Pass Defense	A-	A
Run Defense	B+	B
Special Teams	B	B+
Coaching	A-	A-

Pass Offense: Blake Sims targeted Amari Cooper all night long, but Christion Jones and DeAndrew White made the clutch catches, while Cooper dropped a pair of potential first downs. Sims completed 20 of 45 attempts for 209 yards and two scores. Cooper's 83-yard night did move him into Alabama lore, though.

Run Offense: The Tigers kept Sims in the pocket, so the Tide relied on T.J. Yeldon. He tallied 68 yards on 15 carries before leaving the game due to a leg injury. Ultimately, it was a mediocre performance from the nation's No. 30 rush offense.

Pass Defense: Nick Perry made a few outstanding breaks on the ball from his safety position, and Eddie Jackson jumped a slant route for an interception that led to a field goal. The Tide allowed just two third-down conversions through the air.

Run Defense: Though LSU dominated the second half because of its ground game, Alabama limited the damage to six points. Additionally, the Tide have a pair of absolute studs in Landon Collins and Reggie Ragland, who combined for 20 total tackles.

"

Reggie Ragland has supplanted himself as the next good/great Alabama LB. Probably a '16 draft pick, but he's getting better every game.

— Shane Alexander (@A1GFootball) November 9, 2014"

Special Teams: Adam Griffith clanged a 27-yard field goal off the left upright but recovered to drill his next two (39 and 27) dead-center. JK Scott blasted nine punts at a ridiculous average of 48.6 yards.

Coaching: Lane Kiffin's offensive genius wasn't blatantly obvious, but he called an excellent game when it mattered the most. Kirby Smart's defense disrupted LSU all night long, holding the Tigers to 259 yards—a meager 3.2 per play.

Positional Unit	1st-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	D+	D
Run Offense	C	B-
Pass Defense	B-	C+
Run Defense	B	B-
Special Teams	A-	C
Coaching	B	C+

Pass Offense: Put simply, the Tigers passing game was not something to be admired. Anthony Jennings officially found his targets eight of 26 times for 76 yards, one touchdown and one interception. However, other than an outstanding one-handed snap by Malachi Dupre for six points, LSU's receivers were plagued by drops.

Run Offense: Leonard Fournette bulldozed his way to 79 yards on the ground, while Jennings picked up 40 more. The Tigers didn't rack up yards, but they controlled the clock because of it. Finishing drives on the ground is essential, and that was an area where LSU lacked execution.

Pass Defense: Cooper shredded the secondary before halftime, but Tre'Davious White and Jalen Collins contained him following the break. The biggest breakdown came on the first play of overtime, where an unbalanced formation confused LSU's coverage.

Run Defense: LSU refused to let Sims outside the pocket and kept Yeldon and Derrick Henry in check. The Tigers only allowed Bama to move the sticks five times via the ground game.

Special Teams: Colby Delahoussaye split the upright on a pair of field goals and one extra point, while Jamie Keehn smacked nine punts at a 45.0-yard clip. Trent Domingue's kickoff that went out of bounds proved to be immensely costly.

Coaching: Defensive coordinator John Chavis mixed man and zone coverages quite well, avoiding personal tendencies and forcing seven three-and-outs. Strangely, Cam Cameron completely abandoned Fournette's power during overtime, calling four straight pass plays and ultimately taking the loss.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.