Lane Kiffin Reacts to LSU's Loss vs. Alabama as Record Drops to 6-3 Ahead of Arch, Texas Matchup

LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin called the No. 14 Tigers' 31-13 home loss to No. 5 Alabama "really disappointing" during his postgame press conference .

It's hard to disagree given how well LSU performed outside the scoreboard. The Tigers out-gained Alabama 457-285 and earned more than twice as many first downs (27-13). Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 380 yards, one week after amassing 388 vs. Auburn. Alabama's run game also got shut down, with the Crimson Tide rushing for just 79 yards on 29 touches (2.7 YPC).

However, LSU went 0-of-4 on fourth down and couldn't finish drives. Five of LSU's 10 drives went for 53 or more yards, but they resulted in just 13 points (one touchdown, two field goals and two turnovers on downs).

The Tigers also didn't make plays on special teams. Scott Starzyk missed a 56-yard field goal that would have given LSU an early 6-3 lead. Granted, though, that's a long field goal attempt, especially in the college ranks.

However, the biggest issue was allowing a 32-yard punt return from Ryan Coleman-Williams to set Alabama up on the LSU 25-yard line with just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Crimson Tide up 17-13. On the next play, 'Bama quarterback Keelon Russell hit wide receiver Cederian Morgan for a 25-yard touchdown and 23-13 lead.

That helped Alabama ultimately score the game's last 21 points in an 18-point win.

It was a bewildering loss for LSU, and Kiffin noted how the passing-game stats should have symbolized a better result.

"I was looking at a sheet and it said Sam [Leavitt] had 380 yards passing and Jackson Harris had 11 [receptions] for 166 [yards] and Trey'Dez [Green] had 10 [receptions] for 85 [yards]. I wouldn't think that would equal 13 points," Kiffin said. "But you got to score touchdowns in the red zone."

Kiffin was also asked why LSU hasn't been able to make winning plays.

"I don't know," he said. "We had a chance."

LSU has now dropped to 6-3 (3-3 SEC) in Kiffin's first season. The Tigers could very well be 8-1 but lost close, down-to-the-wire contests at Ole Miss (32-24) and art Kentucky (35-34 in overtime).

Still, the Tigers' season isn't over yet, and now they have a crucially important matchup with No. 7 Texas, which just beat No. 18 Missouri 34-20 on the road thanks in part to quarterback Arch Manning's 297 passing yards and three touchdowns.

LSU will then close the regular season with road games at No. 13 Tennessee and Arkansas.