This game was boring as all get out for 55 minutes. LSU's offense had no cohesion, and Tennessee's offense gave Matt Simms no protection. The Tigers even turned to a two quarterback scheme to shake things up, and it worked to a degree in racking up yards but not putting up points.
So LSU gets the ball with about five minutes to go down 14-10. Jarrett Lee does his best impression of himself against Auburn in 2008, driving the team down the field. He converts a third-and-13, and a fourth-and-14. LSU burns its last timeout before that fourth down conversion, so they have to be careful.
But, this is Les Miles and Gary Crowton we're talking about. Careful is not in their vocabularies. They call for a power I-formation run with less than a minute to go, again, with no timeouts. A pass interference penalty on the next play gives them the ball on the two.
Crowton calls for a jumbo set on first down. With no timeouts. It's a play action pass that fools no one, and Lee tosses it away. On second down Jordan Jefferson goes in and runs a QB draw that fails to score. Crowton clearly sent in that play with no follow up, because LSU then looks completely confused as time winds down from 25 second on the clock.
Tennessee subs its defense in preparation for the next play. LSU still can't figure it out, and lines up for a hurried snap with four seconds to go. Instead of spiking it to set up one last play, Jefferson goes in the shotgun and the ball goes skittering by him on the rushed snap. Tennessee celebrates. Derek Dooley jumps in the arms of a player before trying to direct his team to leave the field.
But wait. There's a ref on the replay headset. Tennessee's defensive substitution was even more disorganized than LSU's play calling, and not 12 but 13 Vols were on the field for that last play. LSU gets one more untimed down, and Stevan Ridley plunges in for the score to close it out.
This was an incredible ending, even more so than the Bluegrass Miracle. Miles was giving another game away with horrendous end-game coaching, but Tennessee gave it right back. I can't say anything else right now, as I'm still processing it.
Un-freaking-believable.