Alabama rallies past LSU

• By JOHN ZENOR
• AP sportswriter
• Published: Nov 7, 2009 - UPDATED: 8:27 p.m.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Any LSU hopes of the conference and national championships were dashed today with a 24-15 loss to third-ranked Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

With the victory against the ninth-ranked Tigers (7-2 overall, 4-2 Southeastern Conference), the Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0) clinched a spot in the SEC title game on Dec. 5.

Julio Jones took a swing pass from Greg McElroy and turned it into a 73-yard touchdown for Alabama's go-ahead score with 10:24 left.

Alabama dominated the fourth quarter after LSU held a 15-10 lead after three quarters.

Leigh Tiffin's 20-yard field goal with 12:35 remaining cut the Tigers' edge to 15-13.

Then Jones' long TD and Trent Richardson's two-point conversion run as Alabama took a 21-15 lead.

Tiffin added a 40-yard field goal with 3:04 to go to ice the game for the Tide. The Alabama drive stayed alive after a would-be sideline interception by LSU's Patrick Peterson was ruled an incomplete pass.

LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson left the game for good in the middle of the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury.

LSU led 7-3 at halftime, but Alabama took the lead for the first time with an 81-yard scoring drive to start the second half. The Tide's running game set up Greg McElroy's 21-yard TD pass to Darius Hanks for a 10-7 edge with 11:40 to play in the third quarter.

But McElroy was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone later in the period, cutting Alabama's lead to 10-9 with 5:55 to go.

LSU went back in front on Stevan Ridley's 8-yard run with 3:19 remaining in the thrd quarter. But an ill-advised decision to go for a two-point conversion failed, leaving the Tigers with a 15-10 lead.

Poor clock management also hurt LSU, leaving the Tigers without any timeouts in the final 11:29.

The game started out with the defenses and special teams in control. LSU drew first blood on the scoreboard in the second quarter. Jefferson's 12-yard TD pass to Deangelo Peterson with 9:12 remaining gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead.