The players Alabama coach Nick Saban signed at LSU played a big role in a 41-34 victory at Alabama on Nov. 3. Then again, the same can be said for the players who signed to play for current LSU coach Les Miles.

Saban signed 17 of LSU's starters. Many of those seniors, particularly quarterback Matt Flynn, receiver Early Doucet, running back Jacob Hester, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and defensive backs Chevis Jackson, Jonathan Zenon and Craig Steltz, did their part to help the No. 2 Tigers (8-1, 5-1 SEC) beat the Crimson Tide, remain alive in the national championship race and take sole possession of first place in the SEC West.

"This team is just tough," Flynn said. "We've got so many older guys and so many leaders on this team that they just come out there every day and work hard. It doesn't matter what's happening in the game; they just overcome adversity and find plays. I've said it before: I'm just extremely glad to be a part of this team."

Those players also made a big statement after the game by giving the game ball to Miles, who had a lot to prove by beating Saban in his first game against his predecessor.

"He's been through so much," Hester said, "so much scrutiny and so many people saying he didn't deserve this job, that he wasn't the best coach for it. I think tonight he really proved that he's a great coach -- one of the best in the country."

For all the big plays made by those players, it was two of Miles' signees that made two of the game's biggest plays.

With LSU trailing 27-17 and losing momentum in the third quarter, it was juco transfer Demetrius Byrd who caught a 61-yard touchdown pass and brought the Tigers back to life.

With the score tied at 34-34 and the clock ticking under 2:00, it was true freshman safety Chad Jones who took advantage of a blitz call and a strong outside rush by his teammates to split a gap up the middle and sack Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson. Jones also forced the ball loose and junior Curtis Taylor recovered at the Alabama 3-yard line.

"We knew it was the time for a big-play opportunity," Jones said. "I slung him and I hit the ball with my arm. I saw it come loose and my teammates jumped on it. It's the best feeling I've had as a college football player."

Then the seniors put the game away. Two plays after the fumble recovery, Hester dove over the top for the game-winning touchdown with 1:26 left. On fourth-and-10 at the LSU 49, Steltz slammed Keith Brown from behind, jarring the ball loose, preventing an Alabama first down and ending the Tide's last hope.

"We kept hanging in there and kept fighting and kept struggling," Miles said, "and found a way to win."

The defense helped LSU's cause by recording seven sacks and holding Alabama to 20 yards rushing on 33 carries. The offense did its part with three touchdown passes by Flynn, two to Doucet.

The performance was far from perfect by any measure. The Tigers committed an embarrassing 14 penalties for 130 yards and the defense gave up 234 passing yards and three touchdown passes, including a 67-yard touchdown reception. The special teams gave up a 61-yard punt return for a touchdown that gave Alabama a 34-27 fourth-quarter lead and let a field-goal attempt get blocked on the final play of the first half. Flynn threw three first-half interceptions, wiping out an early 17-3 lead.

"That's as many mistakes as I've seen in a football game in my life," Miles said. "I promise you this: That'll never happen again. I promise you that. Our football team will be coached very aggressively from this point forward."

--DT Glenn Dorsey's impact always goes beyond stats because of his ability to control the line of scrimmage and provide a foundation for the defense. Through seven games Dorsey has 46 tackles, 8.5 for loss and five sacks with three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. He played with a sprained right knee and wore a huge brace against Alabama, and even though he could often be spotted limping, he still flew around the field making plays and played a significant role in the middle of the defense.

--WR Early Doucet's season got off to strong start but he missed four consecutive games before playing a limited role in the Kentucky game and coming back in a big way against Auburn. Despite missing so much game time, he's come back to play an important role in victories over Auburn and Alabama, and still stands second on the team with 72 receptions for 313 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

--OLB Ali Highsmith remains one of the most important and active players on one of the nation's best defenses. Highsmith is second on the team with 57 tackles to go with six tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, six pass breakups and a forced fumble.

--CB Jonathan Zenon gives defensive coordinator Bo Pelini a chance to get creative and take chances with the other nine defenders because he can leave his corners in man-to-man coverage. Zenon has 29 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and three pass breakups.

--CB Chevis Jackson is the other half of LSU's shutdown cover corners, allowing the safeties and linebackers to get more involved in the run game and the pass rush. Opponents tend to go more at Jackson than Zenon so Jackson has better stats, with 29 tackles, four interceptions and 10 pass breakups.

--SS Craig Steltz's nose for the ball makes him a constant threat for a turnover and he has responded with four interceptions and a fumble recovery. He's also forced two fumbles and leads LSU with 63 tackles.

--QB Matt Flynn's strong start in his first season as the Tigers' starting QB was slowed by a sore ankle that often slowed his mobility and seemed to throw off his rhythm. He's been victimized by a multitude of dropped passes and he's hurt himself with interceptions but after strong performances against Auburn and Alabama, he's completing 55.6 percent of his passes for 202.4 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

GAME BALL GOES TO: DE Kirston Pittman -- With Pittman and fellow DE Tyson Jackson spending considerable time in the Alabama backfield, LSU made life tough on Alabama QB John Parker Wilson. Both players recorded two sacks, with Pittman producing six tackles, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.

KEEP AN EYE ON: WR Early Doucet -- Doucet's return from a groin injury has made a big impact on the LSU offense the past two games. Against Alabama, Doucet caught five passes for 67 yards, a 10-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 32-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Doucet also completed a 35-yard pass to Flynn in the first quarter.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "You've got a great team. Good luck to you." -- Alabama coach Nick Saban's midfield postgame message to LSU coach Les Miles.

LOOKING GOOD: QB Matt Flynn -- Flynn bounced back from three first-half interceptions to finish with career highs in attempts (44), completions (24) and passing yards (353) and touchdown passes of 10 and 32 yards to WR Early Doucet and 61 yards to WR Demetrius Byrd. Flynn also caught a 35-yard pass from Doucet in the first quarter.

WR Demetrius Byrd -- Byrd continues to emerge as a big-play receiver for the Tigers, with six receptions for 144 yards, including his 61-yard touchdown.

DB Chad Jones -– LSU's talented true freshman safety recorded two sacks, including one that forced a fumble and set up the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

STILL NEEDS WORK: Penalties, penalties and more penalties -- It's bad enough committing 14 penalties for 130 yards in a big game, but some of them were just plain dumb, a product of not handling the emotions of the game. One example was DE Tyson Jackson's roughing-the-passer penalty on third-and-inches. Instead of an incompletion and a punt, Alabama connected on a 67-yard touchdown on the next play. One of the worst examples came when right tackle Carnell Stewart got angry after a penalty against LSU and ripped his helmet off, drawing an automatic 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. LSU then punted from its own 17 and Alabama's Javier Arenas returned the punt 61 yards for a touchdown and a 34-27 lead with 7:33 left to play.

CB Jonathan Zenon -– Zenon is usually pretty dependable in coverage but he was the one who allowed that 67-yard touchdown completion to Alabama's DJ Hall.

DB Danny McCray –- McCray also got beat one-on-one by Alabama WR Keith Brown for a 14-yard touchdown reception.

ROSTER REPORT: It was obvious DT Glenn Dorsey has not fully recovered from the chop block he endured Oct. 20 against Auburn. Dorsey came into the game with a sprained right knee and then an Alabama lineman rolled on him with 5:24 left in the first quarter, sending Dorsey to the locker room for a brief time. Dorsey could be seen limping at various times throughout the game but still made his share of plays with seven tackles, two for losses, and a sack.

LB Darry Beckwith suffered dislocated knee cartilage with 3:20 left in the first quarter but fortunately for Beckwith and the Tigers, it popped back into place and he was able to return.

Last week, senior OG Will Arnold said he expected to play against Alabama after missing most of the season with knee problems and an illness, but Arnold did not appear on the game participation list.