The boos have now become cheers. Alabama kicker Adam Griffith rose to the occasion last week, nailing all three of his field goal attempts against LSU. He sustained a stress fracture in his back last season, causing him to struggle with accuracy.
Griffith has seen his confidence go up and down, yet his teammates and head coach Nick Saban never lost faith in him.
The junior gave Alabama an early 3-0 lead in the second quarter on a 22-yard attempt.
LSU would respond with 10 points on back-to-back scoring drives, but a mishap on special teams gave the Crimson Tide a chance to take the lead at halftime. Griffith drilled a 55-yard field goal through the goal post with 14 seconds left in the first half, giving Alabama a 13-10 lead.
Check out the video of Griffith’s 55-yard kick, courtesy of CBS Sports.
https://twitter.com/CBSSports/status/663186434602348545/
It was Griffith’s first attempt in excess of 50 yards, and hugs from linebacker Reggie Ragland and punter JK Scott immediately followed his efforts. Poland’s native son returned once more in the fourth quarter with a 29-yard try. The successful attempt extended Alabama’s lead to 30-10.
Griffith made all three of his extra points and totaled three touchbacks on seven kickoffs.
His confidence is now soaring as he has made 13 of his last 15 kicks, after starting 0-4.
Griffith and Alabama (8-1) will face Mississippi State next week in Starkville, Miss.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @ESPN_Future.
