Les Miles' Cardiac Tigers did it again tonight, scoring two touchdowns in the final three minutes to rally No. 3 LSU to a 41-34 win over No. 17 Alabama, which should serve as payback for the coach who won a title in Cajun Country but showed up for this one trying to keep the purple and gold from winning another.

The Tigers (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) pulled it out in typical fashion, going down to the wire in their fourth straight game.

"We kept hanging in there, kept fighting," said Miles, who got the game ball from his players. "We found a way to win. I've never seen that many mistakes in a game. We'll never play that poorly again."

Alabama (6-3, 4-2) went ahead on a 61-yard punt return by Javier Arenas with 7½ minutes left, and the Crimson Tide was in position to deliver a knockout when the Tigers faced fourth-and-4 at the Bama 32.

No problem for this team that went 5-for-5 on fourth-down conversions in a win over Florida to start this remarkable run of nail-biting games.

Matt Flynn tossed a pass over the middle to Early Doucet, who shook away from one defender, faked out another and went all the way to the end zone for the tying score with 2:49 remaining.

Alabama got it back, but safety Chad Jones burst up the middle to sack John Parker Wilson and knock the ball away. It rolled along the turf until LSU's Curtis Taylor fell on it at the Tide 4.

Two plays later, Jacob Hester dove over from the 1 with 1:26 left and LSU was still in the title race.

LSU beat Florida and Auburn on its final possession and lost to Kentucky the same way. This time, the Tigers actually gave themselves a little breathing room, allowing Matt Flynn to simply kneel for the final two plays.

Saban, who led LSU to a share of the national championship in 2004 before leaving for the NFL, walked to midfield to shake hands with the coach who replaced him and the players he left behind.

"It was hard," Saban conceded during a rare bit of reflection in an otherwise fiery post-game news conference. "It's a little bit like playing someone in your family. I wish those guys well. I want to see them do well. I'll be proud to see them do well."

Now they're playing for Miles, who's faced persistent criticism that he's not that great a coach, that he's simply winning with the enormous talent Saban left behind.

It must be noted, however, the guy who made the biggest play was recruited by Miles; Jones is a true freshman from Baton Rouge.

The game fully delivered on its buildup, the two teams going at each other like heavyweights throwing nothing but bombs. There were numerous big plays and amazing swings in momentum, but LSU came through when it mattered.

Flynn, whose three first-half interceptions helped Alabama get back in the game from an early 17-3 deficit, calmly drove the Tigers 84 yards in 10 plays for the tying touchdown.

Then the touted LSU defense came up with not just a stop, but a turnover.

Wilson completed only 14 of 40 passes for Alabama, though it seemed every one was a game-changer. He threw three touchdowns, hooking up with DJ Hall on a 67-yarder and hitting Keith Brown for scores of 29 and 14 yards.

Alabama, with two linemen and its top running back suspended over textbook issues, couldn't muster a running game. The Tide finished with just 20 yards on the ground and were outgained 475-254 overall.

After squandering its two-touchdown lead and falling behind, LSU finally responded with Flynn's 61-yard touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd in the final minute of the third quarter.

That was just the warmup for another down-to-the-wire finish.

The Tigers — well, their fans at least — had this one circled on the calendar ever since Saban returned to the SEC West just two years after leaving Baton Rouge to coach the Miami Dolphins.

Feeling betrayed, the LSU faithful couldn't wait to get a shot at the $4 Million Man, the annual salary that Alabama doled out to lure Saban back to college.

Miles and his players said they never bought into the get-back-at-Saban mentality. They've got more important things on their agenda.

"That had nothing to do with who coaches the teams," Miles said. "This was about two football teams and position in the (SEC) West."

After the clock struck zero, ending the four-hour-plus marathon, it seemed as though all was forgiven. Saban lingered on the field to shake hands with his former players.

"I love our players here more. I'm going to work with them every day to try to help them be successful," Saban said. "But I can't just throw away the feelings I have for those players, the ones I have a relationship with. That just doesn't go away."