Alabama quarterback Blake Sims was just 20-of-45 passing for 209 yards until the final 50 seconds of regulation against LSU on Saturday. But from his final drive through his 6-yard touchdown pass to DeAndrew White in overtime, the 6-foot, 208-pound former tailback was 6-of-8 for 80 yards.AJ McCarron led a late comeback two years ago at LSU’s hostile Tiger Stadium that gave the former Alabama quarterback a memory he could forever cherish.
On Saturday night, Blake Sims created one for his own as well.
With his Crimson Tide trailing 13-10 in the final 50 seconds of regulation and without any time outs, Sims calmly led the offense 55 yards in 47 seconds to set up a 27-yard field goal by former Calhoun High standout Adam Griffith. Sims then led a 25-yard touchdown drive in overtime that propeled No. 4 Alabama to a stirring 20-13 victory over the No. 14 Tigers.
So what was running through his mind when 50 seconds were all that separated Alabama from being eliminated from college football’s inaugural four-team playoff?
“When we got in the huddle, I said, ‘Guys, this is the game where we can make history,'” Sims told reporters in the early hours of Sunday morning. “I said, ‘We can sit down in December and watch other teams perform and get to the championship game, or we can do what we’ve got to do.'”