LSU vs. Alabama 2011: Kicking Woes Will Doom Tide in Defensive Struggle

As the LSU-Alabama showdown heads to halftime, the defenses have been decidedly as good as advertised. Neither team has a TD to show for its efforts, and LSU needed a rare bit of successful clock management from Les Miles to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the break.

LSU, though, has to count itself lucky that it was even in a position to tie the game with a last-second field goal. Alabama’s kicking duo of Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley has combined to miss three of four tries in the first half.

None of the misses was a gimme (44 and 50 yards for Foster and 49 for Shelley), but the dismal start bodes ill for the Tide’s hopes in the second half. In a tight, field-position battle like this one is shaping up to be, a team that can’t trust its kicker is in deep trouble.

Shelley’s failed 49-yarder illustrates the danger, as the short-range specialist angled his kick too low and set up an LSU block. With the kickers off their games, Nick Saban will be forced to take foolish risks (such as sending Shelley out from that distance in the first place) that could lead to big plays for the opportunistic Tigers.

Alternatively, if the game stays close, Alabama could simply find itself in a position where it must decide between a game-tying field goal and a risky 4th-down conversion. After this first half, it’s hard to imagine Saban opting to kick if there’s any question about the distance.

In such a tight game, the Tide’s kickers could yet be bailed out by the rest of the team. If LSU goes on to win, though, the blame will almost certainly land at the feet of Foster and Shelley.