The back-and-forth battle at Tiger Stadium slowed down, if only for a moment, as LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. leapt to his right and fell in the end zone with a pivotal interception ball held tightly to his chest.

A sold-out crowd of more than 102,000 fans celebrated late into Saturday night, mocking the Gator Chomp as the giddy hope of an undefeated season reverberated from every corner of this hallowed pantheon of concrete and steel.