With LSU visiting Alabama this Saturday, it had me thinking of the most important moment in this storied rivalry, which would have to be the game during the 2012 season. The T.J. Yeldon screen pass that stole a 21-17 win from LSU put the Crimson Tide into the SEC Championship game, and led to them playing Notre Dame in the National Championship, which they ended up dominating.
The year before, Alabama dominated LSU in the BCS national championship game, winning 21-0. It took the Tigers three quarters to cross into the Alabama side of the field during that game. It seemed as if a year later, Alabama was going to do the same, as they were up 14-3 at halftime against the likes of Zach Mettenberger and future NFL stars Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr.
After halftime, the LSU defense was practically pitching a shutout against the Tide. They held Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon to a minimum of yards on the ground. Alabama had 52 total yards in the third quarter. The Tigers' pass rush was dominating the line of scrimmage, throwing off McCarron's timing and harassing him. McCarron had one completion in seven attempts in the second half before the last drive.
Mettenberger went 25-38 for 298 yards and a touchdown in the second half. He had at one point 11 straight completions. The LSU offense controlled the time of possession as well. They held the ball for nearly 40 minutes in that game. The crowd at Death Valley was electric. LSU was up 17-14, and the Tide would get the ball back with one last drive to win the game and steal a win.
Steal the win, they did. McCarron led a game-winning drive, completing several passes to the reliable Kevin Norwood before completing a screen pass to freshman running back T.J. Yeldon to give the Tide a 21-17 lead with 51 seconds left. This is arguably the most iconic moment from the LSU vs. Alabama rivalry in the BCS era under Nick Saban. Backs against the wall, about to be out of the SEC Championship game, BCS title repeat hopes are going to be smashed, and then the resiliency and execution to utilize LSU's aggressive front against them. That screen pass was the perfect play call.
Throwback to November 3, 2012. AJ McCarron hit TJ Yeldon for what many remember as ‘The Screen Pass’ that was the go-ahead game winning play to catapult #1 Alabama over #5 LSU.
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) March 12, 2025
Where were you when this play happened 🤔 pic.twitter.com/cQyTgFRo0i
As a high schooler at the time, I remember watching that game in Illinois surrounded by friends who were excited to see the Tide's BCS chances dashed. I even had a couple of friends buy LSU t-shirts for that game and pretend to eat grass to agitate me as I watched the second half. It seemed as if it was over and that LSU was going to get its revenge from the year before. That screen pass had me jumping off my friend's coach in their basement and fist-pumping. It was a legendary drive for Alabama, and for me, a young fan, that screen pass will forever be ingrained in my memory. The Verne Lundquist call of that touchdown was repeated at least a few hundred times in the hall, science labs, and cafeteria at school.
Everything was on the line for Alabama in a hostile environment, with the legendary poise and composure of a Nick Saban-led team, the Tide escaped Death Valley with a win. Roll Tide.