Alabama vs. LSU: Score and Twitter Reaction

Alabama snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, tying the game with seconds remaining in regulation before pulling out a 20-13 win in overtime over LSU on Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

NOLA.com's Jim Kleinpeter had Les Miles' thoughts on the tough loss after the game:

The game was very reminiscent of the 9-6 defensive struggle from 2011, where points came at a premium and neither team's offense got into any sort of groove. The Tigers and Crimson Tide combined to amass just 574 yards of total offense.

As the clock ticked down in the fourth quarter and the score remain deadlocked at 10-10, one team would have to make something crazy happen in order to break through. And that's exactly what the Tigers did with a little over a minute left to play.

Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon fumbled the ball on his own 6-yard line, giving LSU plenty of time to notch the go-ahead score.

Yeldon left the game after the fumble, and Bleacher Report's Matt Miller pointed out it was a pre-existing injury that was aggravated on the play.

On Wednesday, Alabama head coach Nick Saban said that the junior running back "will play for sure," per Michael Casagrande of AL.com. Saban could only remark after the game that Yeldon had a "twisted ankle," per CBSSports.com's Jon Solomon:

Yeldon's injury became a factor on that play, as an LSU defender was twisting his foot prior to the fumble.

Although an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved LSU 15 yards back, Colby Delahoussaye put the Tigers ahead with a 39-yard field goal.

But just as LSU grabbed a ton of momentum, it handed it right back after Trent Domingue's kickoff went out of bounds. That gave Alabama the ball all the way up to their 35-yard line, and the Crimson Tide needed only a couple of first downs to get into field-goal position.

Saban called a perfect drive with plenty of quick outs and slants that helped 'Bama reach the LSU 10-yard line. From there, Adam Griffith, who missed a field goal earlier in the game, tied the score with three seconds remaining.

Alabama had possession to start overtime, and Blake Sims hit wide receiver DeAndrew White from six yards out for the go-ahead touchdown.

LSU head coach Les Miles opened himself up for criticism with his play-calling on the final drive of the game. The Tigers ran four passing plays, and Anthony Jennings' last-gasp heave into the end zone for Malachi Dupre was knocked away.

Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde questioned why LSU didn't rely on its far better run game:

The Tigers had almost no success through the air the entire night. Jennings finished 8-of-26 for 76 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Compare that to the run game, which went for 183 yards on 56 carries. Leonard Fournette wasn't great, but he helped push the ball forward with 79 yards on the ground.

LSU only kept it close because of how well its defense stifled the high-powered Crimson Tide offense. Sims could only manage 209 yards through the air, while Amari Cooper was largely silent in the second half, finishing with eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Neither Yeldon nor Derrick Henry had much going when running the ball, as the Crimson Tide duo combined for 92 yards.

A low-scoring affair favored the Tigers, and they probably should've won the game in regulation. Instead, they shot themselves in the foot and blew what was a strong first-quarter and second-half performance.

LSU took a 7-0 lead in the first frame after a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jennings to Dupre, which was one of Jennings' two completions in the entire first half. The sophomore quarterback has come under fire quite a bit for his poor performance, but his pass to Dupre was right on the money.

Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune felt that Jennings couldn't have placed his throw any better:

The Tigers couldn't build on their lead, though. In addition to Jennings' struggles through the air, the trio of Fournette, Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard only gained 122 yards on a whopping 38 carries.

The Alabama offense didn't fare much better early on, as a stout LSU defense stymied the Crimson Tide at every opportunity through the first quarter. And the first time the Tide got into scoring position, Griffith left points on the board with a missed field goal from 27 yards out.

SEC on CBS captured a snapshot of the ball hitting the upright before bouncing harmlessly to the ground:

Alabama doesn't have many flaws, but Glenn Guilbeau of USA Today highlighted what's been an ongoing issue for the team this year:

Slowly but surely, however, the Crimson Tide exerted more and more authority on the proceedings.

Cooper tied the game through a 23-yard touchdown pass with 5:40 to go until halftime. The Heisman Trophy candidate turned a simple route over the middle into an adventure (via CBS Sports):

With the TD, 'Bama improved its first-half scoring streak to 98 games, which is the longest in the country, per the SEC Network:

Griffith then redeemed himself as the second quarter neared its conclusion, connecting with a 39-yard field goal to put Alabama ahead 10-7.

The Alabama offense wasn't quite a one-man show in the first half, but Cooper was a big reason the visitors found themselves in the lead. He accounted for 72 of the Tide's 110 passing yards, while Yeldon and Henry combined for 62 yards on 14 carries.

Cooper's 72 yards were also enough to pass D.J. Hall in the Alabama record books for most career receiving yards:

Alabama's advantage was short-lived, however, as LSU tied the game at 10-10 with a 35-yard field goal from Delahoussaye on the opening drive of the second half with what would be the only score until the final minute of the game.

Miles and the Tigers will rue this missed opportunity. They only had a very long shot at the playoff, but beating 'Bama would've been something to build upon heading into next year.

LSU gets what will be a tricky game against Arkansas next week and wraps up the regular season against a newly rejuvenated Texas A&M team.

Alabama has little time to rest on its laurels. The Crimson Tide welcome in the top-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs next Saturday in a game that will in all likelihood determine the winner of the SEC West. They'll of course close the regular season with the Iron Bowl.