Saban recalls ‘Bluegrass Miracle’

Alabama Coach Nick Saban was asked to take a trip down memory lane back to his days as LSU coach and the Bluegrass Miracle, the 74-yard touchdown pass at the horn that led the Tigers to an improbable win over Kentucky in 2002.

But what Saban remembers the most from that game was not the final play, but the aftermath. While the victory guaranteed Saban and LSU a lifetime place in the college football highlight reel vault (it won the ‘Best Play’ award in the 2003 ESPY’s), it may have proved costly in the long run. LSU was blanked at home by Alabama 31-0 the following week and lost three of its final four games to close the season.

“I’ve always been told by mentors, that the worst thing your team can do is play poorly and win,” he said. “And we played poorly that day and won. And we got our rear ends kicked in the worst defeat in all the time I was at LSU the next week because of that. That’s what I remember the most. You didn’t expect that answer, did you?”