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LSU survives as Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin collapse in wild SEC finish

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LSU survives as Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin collapse in wild SEC finish

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  • The Magnolia Bowl often offers great drama, and this LSU comeback win was just the ticket.
  • Ole Miss collapses in a game that never trailed until the final play.
  • Win keeps LSU's playoff hopes alive.

BATON ROUGE, La. – A wild, crazy rivalry series has received its latest wild, crazy chapter.

Just the Magnolia Bowl, right?

No. 8 Ole Miss lost a game that it never trailed until the final play of the game.

No. 10 LSU won a game that wasn't about winning anything for most of the evening.

Maybe the ghost of Billy Cannon still haunts the rebels.

Sixty-five years after the run, Billy, run, the Magnolia Bowl served pass, Garrett, pass.

Collapse, rebels, collapse.

Rally, Tigers, rally, to a 29-26 overtime win.

“Really proud of our football team and the way they never batted an eyelid,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said after a win that moved his team to 5-1.

Missed opportunities haunt Ole Miss

The Rebels regretted not scoring a single point in a first quarter in which they gained 139 yards, entered the red zone twice and missed a would-be touchdown pass at the hands of their best receiver.

LSU managed to escape despite spending most of the second half wasting chances to take the lead after its defense made stops.

But quarterback Garrett Nussmeier kept throwing punches, and the Rebels' defense eventually collapsed — just as it did in the fourth quarter in a loss to Kentucky two weeks ago.

Nussmeier completed four-down passes twice in the game-winning drive. With LSU's season on the line, he hit Aaron Anderson for a 23-yard touchdown to force overtime.

Tigers fans sang their infamous NSFW anthem before overtime while the band provided the beat, and then Death Valley roared as loudly as they had all night just before the Rebels' Caden Davis kicked a 57-yard field goal.

Of course this crazy game needed a 57-yard shoe, right?

Amid the noise, Nussmeier kept a cool head.

Garrett Nussmeier delivers at a crucial time for LSU

Statistically speaking, this LSU quarterback didn't have a standout night. He threw two interceptions and more incompletions than he ever had in a game this season.

But Nussmeier is the best Kelly's team has to offer.

So, pass, Garrett, pass.

He only needed one throw in overtime.

Nussmeier threw it to his best wide receiver.

Kyren Lacy worked against 1v1 coverage.

This is a win for LSU.

“It’s not 50/50 ball. That’s a 100-to-nothing ball,” Nussmeier said.

And who cares about the first 49 passes that Nussmeier threw? Because his last two throws were touchdowns.

“Nuss played a great game,” Lacy said.

Lacy agreed with Kelly and was more generous in his assessment of Nussmeier's night than the quarterback himself. Nussmeier called his performance one of the worst games of his career. He just kept shooting.

“This was a growth game for him,” Kelly said.

Lacy's 25-yard touchdown grab kept LSU's playoff hopes alive while also thwarting what was supposed to be a dream season for the Rebels, who fell 5-2.

Time for the melodies.

“Grove St. Party” blared from the stadium speakers as Tigers fans stormed the field.

A field storm after a slight surprise?

Oh, what the hell, after that crazy game, Sturm, Tigers, Sturm.

Blake Toppmeyer is the national college football columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

Subscribe to read all his columns.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

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