No. 5 Alabama survives Death Valley and No. 16 LSU, 20-13 in overtime

Alabama quarterback Blake Sims figured out Louisiana State’s defense just in time for the Crimson Tide to deal the Tigers yet another devastating loss in Death Valley.

Sims drove Alabama 55 yards in the final 50 seconds of regulation for a tying field goal, and threw a six-yard touchdown pass to DeAndrew White in overtime to lift No. 5 Alabama to a 20-13 victory over No. 16 LSU on Saturday night.

With the victory and Auburn’s upset loss to Texas A&M earlier in the day, Alabama (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) is alone in second place in the SEC West Division with a game against first-place Mississippi State still on its schedule.

Amari Cooper had eight catches for 83 yards and a 23-yard touchdown while setting Alabama career and single-season records for yards receiving, as well as the school’s single-season mark for catches with 79.

T.J. Yeldon’s fumble deep in Alabama territory set up Colby Delahoussaye’s 39-yard field goal that gave LSU (7-3, 3-3) a 13-10 lead with 50 seconds left.

If the Tigers had been able to hold on, they would have pulled into a four-way tie for second place in the SEC West with Alabama, No. 3 Auburn (7-2, 4-2) and No. 11 Mississippi (8-2, 4-2).

But the Tigers’ defense, which dominated much of the night to the delight of a sold-out crowd of 102,321, was unable to make one last stand after kickoff specialist Trent Domingue yanked his kick out of bounds, giving Alabama the ball on its 35 with 50 seconds to go.

Sims scrambled for one first down, then hit several clutch passes, none bigger than a 22-yarder to Christion Jones, who made a sprawling catch on the LSU 26-yard line. Sims then hit White along the sideline at the 10 to set up the tying kick, a 27-yarder by Adam Griffith — who missed from the same distance, and same right-to-left angle, in the first half.