Alabama’s first drive of the game started out with promise, but once in the red zone the Crimson Tide turned the ball over thanks to a brutal fumble by Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa, playing on a surgically repaired ankle, was clearly not as explosive as he would have been at full health. However, this fumble had nothing to do with that, as he simply lost the without any contact.
This fumble gave LSU a chance to score the game’s first points, and it at least temporarily ruined Alabama’s momentum at home.