LSU rolls over Oklahoma in Peach Bowl to reach national championship game

It was a day of mixed emotions for LSU.

On one hand, it was a national semifinal appearance in Atlanta before a partisan Tiger crowd with a chance to reach the national championship game.

On the other hand, a member of the LSU family lost a loved one in a shocking development earlier in the day, a crippling, devastating blow to a good family and the loss of life of a talented, very fine person, in the youth of a very promising career and in the youth of marriage as well.

Still, LSU was able to focus and put a clear focus on the difference in the top of the SEC and the top of the Big 12.

Of course, we really did not need any more evidence, did we?

All we heard in the last few days was how Oklahoma was being disrespected by the point spread and by pundits predicting a convincing LSU win. All we hears was how much better the Oklahoma defense was under a new defensive coordinator.

Then, we heard about how three suspensions were a ready-made excuse.

After watching what we watched in Atlanta, does anyone really think Oklahoma would have had any shot with the three players?

Of course not.

LSU played incredible, flawless football for a half, putting on perhaps the best offensive show in modern college football history, considering the stage and the opposition. It was something to marvel at, mind-bobbling to watch.

If you are an LSU fan, it was cake and ice cream with whipped cream, caramel sauce, hot fudge and a cherry on top. It was that sweet.

Here are my Quick Takes on LSU’s 63-28 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Oklahoma.

**LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger and the entire LSU family was coaching and playing with a heavy heart following the terrible, tragic news of the death of television reporter Carley McCord in a plane crash Saturday morning in Lafayette.

**McCord, who worked at WDSU and Cox Sports Television, as well as serving as an in-game host for New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans games, perished along with four others. She was the wife of Steve Ensminger Jr. and was liked, respected, beloved by many.

**LSU won the toss and deferred, giving Oklahoma the ball first.

**K’Lavon Chaisson sacked Hurts on the first play from scrimmage. The Sooners ran three plays to on the opening series and lost six yards.

**A shanked punt of just 25 yards by Reeves Mundschau gave LSU the ball at the Oklahoma 43-yard line.

**Chris Curry got the start at running back but Clyde Edwards-Helaire came in on the first series of the game.

**LSU capitalized on the great field position, going 43 yards in three plays with Joe Burrow connecting with Justin Jefferson on a 19-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 with 12:03 to play in the opening quarter.

LSU gets on the board first! #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/fWNqwz65b6

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 28, 2019

**Burrow was 3-of-3 for 43 yards on the drive, making all the right reads and perfect throws.

**Guard Damien Lewis was carted off early in the first quarter on the second series of the game. Adrian Magee moved from left guard to right guard while Ed Ingram took over at left guard.

**Oklahoma tied the game on its next possession, driving 69 yards in five plays with Kennedy Brooks scoring on a 3-yard run. The score was set up by a 51-yard completion to CeeDee Lamb by Jalen Hurts. Lamb lined up in the slot and that got him away from Derek Stingley Jr. and got him matched up man-to-man with Jacoby Stevens. Lamb won the matchup clearly.

**It was the seventh catch of the season of 50 yards or more for Lamb.

**Terrace Marshall was injured midway through the first quarter. He was checked to make sure there was no concussion and returned to the game quickly.

**When he did, Marshall made his mark immediately, catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to cap a nine play, 75-yard drive to make it 14-7 with 4:24 to play in the opening quarter.

LSU and Joe Burrow are ROLLING #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/skkOVkc0qN

— ESPN (@espn) December 28, 2019

**On the drive, Clyde-Edwards Helaire got his first carry, ran over a tackler and went 14 yards to the 8-yard line to set up the score. It was a great sight and provided an emotional lift to his teammates.

**LSU got a real break on the next series when Stingley committed pass interference, dragging down Jadon Haselwood. There was no call and Oklahoma had to punt.

**Oklahoma star linebacker Kenneth Murray left the game injured late in the first quarter. He was able to return early in the second quarter.

**Burrow then showed why he won the Heisman Trophy, extending a play. As he was about to go out of bounds, he heaved one up and it dropped perfectly into the arms of Marshall for 24 yards on a third-and-3 play.

**LSU extended the lead to 21-7 with 1:16 to play in the opening quarter as Burrow drove the Tigers 86 yards in six plays, finishing the drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson.

**The touchdown catch came just one play after Jefferson dropped one that would have been a big gain, illustrating the kind of confidence Burrow has in his receivers.

**LSU ended the first quarter with 211 yards and 21 points. Burrow was 11-of-14 for 166 yards and three touchdowns with two drops. Jefferson had five catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

**Oklahoma had given up just 42 points in the first quarter in its previous 13 games.

**Sooner defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles then got ejected from the game for targeting Edwards-Helaire on a Burrow scramble for a first down. It was a cheap shot all the way. Radley-Hiles was not even attempting to tackle Burrow. He simply singled out Edwards-Helaire, blindsided him and launched himself at him. Upon review, the ACC officiating crew ruled targeting and ejected Radley-HIles.

**Burrow ran for another first down before he again extended a play and connected with Jefferson on a 42-yard touchdown to make it 28-7 LSU with 12:13 to play in the half. The drive covered 80 yards in six plays.

JUSTIN JEFFERSON WITH HIS THIRD TD OF THE HALF 🔥 #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/sdkig3E8A4

— ESPN (@espn) December 28, 2019

**Oklahoma then tried a trick play on a handoff and pitch back to Hurts. He tried to throw deep but Kary Vincent Jr. read it beautifully, reacted by racing off the hash mark and picking it off.

**LSU overcame two 15-yard penalties on its next possession. First, Ja’Marr Chase made his first catch, a 22-yarder, to convert a third-and-18.

**Then, Burrow hit Jefferson for a 30-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 35-7 with 9:17 to play in the half. It was Burrow’s fifth touchdown pass and Jefferson’s fourth touchdown catch, all in less than a quarter and a half. The drive covered 55 yards in six plays.

COUNT ‘EM!

1
2
3
4

Touchdowns for Justin Jefferson in the first half 🤯 #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/3hmhd2h57s

— ESPN (@espn) December 28, 2019

**It set the Peach Bowl record for touchdown touchdowns in a game, held by Jeff Blake and Johnny Manziel.

**Oklahoma got a needed drive to give its beleaguered defense a rest which ended with a touchdown. The Sooners went 75 yards in 10 plays with Hurts scoring on a 2-yard run to make it 35-14 with 4:45 to play in the half. The touchdown was set up by an obvious pass interference call on Kristian Fulton.

**It had no effect on the LSU offense. The Tigers answered in just two plays, going 75 yards as Burrow hit Thaddeus Moss on a 62-yard touchdown pass for his sixth touchdown pass of the game to make it 42-14 with 4:18 to play in the half. His six touchdown passes tied the LSU record for scoring tosses in a game which he established earlier this season at Vanderbilt.

OKLAHOMA GOT MOSSED! pic.twitter.com/gz6nO64Nrk

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 28, 2019

**For good measure, the Tigers played add-on before the half ended, driving 63 yards in just five plays with Burrow hitting Marshall on a 2-yard touchdown pass to make it 49-14 with 50 seconds left in the half.

Joe Burrow has thrown 7 TD passes, tied for the most ever in a bowl game. … It's halftime. #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/AZcs1lbHSD

— ESPN (@espn) December 28, 2019

**Burrow finished the first half 21-of-27 for 403 yards and seven touchdowns and he rushed three times for 24 yards. Jefferson had nine catches for 186 yards and four touchdowns. Marshall had five catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Moss had four catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. LSU finished the half with 497 yards.

**With his nine catches, Jefferson broke Josh Reed’s single season record for receptions. Reed had 94 in 2001 prior to a solid 8-year NFL career with Buffalo while Jefferson reached 97 receptions on the season by halftime.

**To illustrate the dominance, Burrow had seven touchdown passes while Hurts had just five completions. Hurts was just 5-of-18 for 101 yards and an interception in the half. Take away the 51-yarder to Lamb and he was 4-of-17 for 50 yards and the pick.

**Marshall left the game on the first possession of the second half with an injured left shoulder.

**The Tigers took the second half kickoff and drove 75 yards in 13 plays, taking 4:49 off the clock. Burrow capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 56-14 with 10:11 to play in the third quarter.

**Vincent Jr. was injured midway through the third quarter.

**Oklahoma proceeded to drive 75 yards in 13 plays with Hurts scoring on a 12-yard run to make it 56-21 with 4:19 to play in the third quarter.

**The Sooners continued their better second half showing by driving 71 yards in nine plays with T.J. Pledger scoring on a 1-yard run to make it 56-28 with 9:39 to play in the game.

**Myles Brennan then took over at quarterback for LSU. He promptly drove the Tigers 75 yards in nine plays, taking 5:40 off the clock. John Emery capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it 63-28 with 3:59 to play in the game.

**Brennan went 3-for-3 for 39 yards on the drive.

Burrow set a ton of records, five in the College Football Playoffs. What else is new? He completed 29-of-39 passes for 493 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed five times for 22 yards and a touchdown. He had three passes dropped.

Jefferson set Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl records for the most receptions and the most receiving yards.

Moss set a record for most receiving yards by a tight end in LSU history.

The 49 points in a half were a record as well.

LSU set a record for the most yardage in a playoff game with 692.

Edwards-Helaire was not needed, though he did make one good run and inspired his teammates, as mentioned.

Oklahoma chose to try to take Chase away and that might be the only thing the Sooners did well.

The negative was the loss of Lewis to an ankle injury. Then, you will have to monitor the shoulder injury to Marshall as well.

Does anyone doubt that Alabama was the fourth best team in the country after watching Oklahoma and even Georgia? Of course, Auburn is pretty good as well and so is Florida. The Crimson Tide, with Tua Tagovailoa, would have beaten Auburn.

Of course, LSU is certainly pleased that it got Oklahoma, instead. That is not to say that the Tigers could not have beaten Alabama again but it would have never been this easy.

Hurts found out that wearing Oklahoma red is nothing like wearing Alabama red when facing an elite team, when facing LSU.

Ensminger got the game ball, an appropriate, classy move.

Burrow was calm afterwards, as calm as he is in the pocket, saying he and the Tigers expected to be in this position.

Now, it is back to New Orleans, the site of LSU’s last two national championships. Regardless of whom LSU plays, the Tigers will have a decided home state advantage, much like Georgia did in the SEC championship game.

The opportunity is rare. It is real. While its defense is not great, it may be good enough. Lord knows the LSU offense is great and its kicking game is very good. The Crescent City is about to get lit by the light of an outstanding LSU football program.