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Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers turned in a first half for the ages, a breathtaking offensive display even as their coordinator grieved a horrific tragedy from his box high above the field.
This team from the bayou is truly something special.
With one more victory, it will be a national champion.
In his first game as a Heisman Trophy winner, Burrow threw for seven touchdowns and 493 yards as No. 1 LSU romped to a stunning 63-28 victory over No. 4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl semifinal game Saturday.
The Tigers (14-0) are headed to the title game against No. 3 Clemson — a 29-23 winner over No. 2 Ohio State in the second semifinal in Arizona — clicking on all cylinders, having dismantled the Sooners (12-2) with a 30-minute outburst that will long be remembered in Cajun country.
"We go into every game thinking nobody can stop us," Burrow said.
Certainly, the Sooners couldn't.
Burrow tied the record for any college bowl game with his seven TD passes — which all came before the bands hit the field for the halftime show at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Justin Jefferson was on the receiving end for four of those scoring plays, also tying a bowl record.
As if that wasn't enough, Burrow scored an eighth TD himself on a 3-yard run in the third quarter, thoroughly dominating his expected duel with Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Heisman runner-up.
Yet, the postgame celebration was weighed down by heavy hearts.
LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger learned shortly before kickoff that his daughter-in-law, broadcaster Carley McCord, was among five people killed in a plane crash in Louisiana. The small plane went down shortly after takeoff for what was supposed to be a flight to Atlanta for the game.
Head coach Ed Orgeron delivered the news to Ensminger, who was seen with tears running down his cheeks but stuck to the task at hand.
"Coach, we're going to get through this," Emsminger told his boss.
Then the coordinator headed to his usual spot in the box, calling plays alongside passing game coordinator Joe Brady.
It was a brilliant, poignant performance in the face of such grief. The players didn't learn until afterward what Ensminger was going through.
"I can't think of what he was able to do today with the circumstances," Brady said. "It speaks to the type of man he is."
LSU needed only three plays to race 42 yards for its first score — a perfectly thrown ball over Jefferson's shoulder for a 19-yard TD less than 3 minutes into the game.
Oklahoma briefly put up a fight. Hurts' 51-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Kennedy Brooks that tied the score at 7.
After that, the rout was on.
It was 49-14 by halftime.
The Tigers' potent spread offense made this one look much like the Harlem Globetrotters carving up the Washington Generals, only it was the Sooners playing the hapless victim.
Jefferson hauled in a 35-yard pass for touchdown No. 2. Then a 42-yarder for No. 3. And, finally, a 30-yard scoring strike that left him counting off four fingers for the crowd — all before the midway point of the second quarter.
Terrace Marshall Jr. contributed to the onslaught with TD catches of 8 and 2 yards. Tight end Thaddeus Moss — the son of NFL Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss — made his daddy proud by getting free behind the secondary, hauling in a pass and shoving off a fast-closing defender to complete the 62-yard scoring play.
"One team, one heartbeat," Orgeron said.
It was a miserable finale for Hurts, who closed out a nomadic college career that began with him leading Alabama to a pair of national championship games before losing his starting job to Tua Tagovailoa. After graduating, Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for a one-and-done season that produced some dazzling numbers but ended short of the ultimate goal.
Running for his life most of the game, Hurts was largely stymied on the ground and through the air. He ran for a pair of touchdowns but gained just 43 yards with his legs. He was held to 15 of 31 for 217 yards passing, giving up a brilliant, leaping interception to Kary Vincent Jr. that quickly brought the LSU offense back on the field as the Tigers were blowing the game open.
"We needed to take advantage of every opportunity we had against a team like this," Hurts said. "We failed to do that."
BLINDSIDE HIT
Oklahoma defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles was ejected early in the second quarter for a brutal hit on LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
With Burrow scrambling toward the sideline, Radley-Hiles delivered the blindside shot to Edwards-Helaire coming out of the backfield.
The officials did not throw a flag, but a video review showed that Radley-Hiles leaped into the defenseless player with a shoulder to the helmet.
Three plays later, Burrow went deep to Jefferson for a TD that extended LSU's lead to 28-7.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oklahoma: Playing for the first time in a city where the Braves have become notorious for their flops in the Major League Baseball playoffs, the Sooners turned in a familiar performance. They have made the College Football Playoff four times in the six-year history of the format, but have yet to win a game. That could affect the way the selection committee views the Sooners the next time they're in the mix — or any other Big 12 school, for that matter.
LSU: While this game will be remembered for the dynamic offensive showing, the Tigers' defense kept up its encouraging turnaround over the latter part of the season. They held Oklahoma to 322 yards — far below its 554.2-yard average coming into the game, which ranked second nationally behind LSU. The front line kept the heat on Hurts, who was sacked twice and often wound up on his backside when he got the ball away.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma: Hurts' departure leaves a big hole to fill at quarterback, but freshman Spencer Rattler was one of the nation's top prospects coming out of high school. He played in three games this season, including a mop-up role in the closing minutes of the Peach Bowl. Rattler will likely be leading the offense when the 2020 season begins Sept. 5 against Missouri State.
LSU: The Tigers will head back to Louisiana for a de facto home game at the Superdome on Jan. 13. That mirrors their last title run during the 2007 season, when they beat Ohio State 38-24 in New Orleans for the BCS championship. "Just getting there is not our final destination," Orgeron said. "We're looking to win it."

Officers responding to a suspicious activity complaint resulted in the arrest of seven on drug charges, Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. said in a news release.
— A juvenile male,16, from Patterson, was arrested at 12:37 a.m. Friday on charges of violation of controlled dangerous substance drug free zone, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and possession of Ecstasy (MDMA). He was jailed and then released to guardians.
—Gerald Ruffin, 37, of Francis Street in Berwick, was arrested at 12:35 a.m. Friday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of Ecstacy (MDMA), possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of controlled dangerous substance drug free zone. He was jailed with no bail set.
—Jordon Watson, 30, of Lucy Street in Patterson, was arrested at 12:35 a.m. Friday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of Ecstacy (MDMA), possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of controlled dangerous substance drug free zone. He was jailed with no bail set.
—Jonathan Charles, 39, of Everett Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:35 a.m. Friday on charges of resisting an officer by providing false information, possession of marijuana, possession of Ecstacy (MDMA) and violation of controlled dangerous substance drug free zone. He was jailed with no bail set.
—Allan Granger, 29, of Lee Street in Franklin, was arrested at 12:35 a.m. Friday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of ecstacy (MDMA), possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of controlled dangerous substance drug free zone and three warrants for St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s office for failure to appear. He was jailed with no bail set.
—Dedrick Gant, 34, of Live Oak Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 12:35 a.m. Friday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of ecstasy (MDMA), possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of controlled dangerous substance drug free zone. He was jailed with no bail set.
—Eric Watson, 35, of Clothilde Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:35 Friday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of Ecstasy (MDMA), possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of controlled dangerous substance drug free zone. He was jailed with no bail set.
Officers received a complaint about possible drug activity at a Berwick residence. Officers responded and could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the home. They made contact with the homeowner and gained consent to search the residence. Marijuana, items of drug paraphernalia and Ecstasy (MDMA) pills were located inside the home and the residence was located in a drug-free zone. All were arrested.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that the Sheriff’s Office responded to 27 complaints and the following arrest was made:
—Mary Ann Griffin, 51, of Joseph Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:31 p.m. Thursday on a charge of disturbing the peace by language. Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Joseph Street in reference to a disturbance in progress. The deputies made contact with neighbors who described a female subject who had been in a disturbance next door. Deputies located the female subject, identified as Griffin, and brought her back to the scene where she began to yell and scream profanities. She was jailed with a $500 bail.
Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 28 calls for service and the following arrests were made:
—James T. Vincent, 38, of South Avenue in Crowley, was arrested at 10:38 a.m. Thursday on a warrant for telephone harassment. Vincent was transported from the Acadia Parish Detention Center to the Morgan City Police Department for an active warrant he held for the department. The warrant stems from an incident in December in which Vincent allegedly made several harassing calls to an individual. He was jailed.
—Harry Irvin Jr., 53, of Garber Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:28 a.m. Thursday on a warrant for distribution of a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance (marijuana) and a warrant for violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law drug free zone. Irvin was located on Justa Street and placed under arrest for active warrants he held for the Morgan City Police Department. He was jailed.
—Jordan J. Watson, 30, of Cherry Street in Patterson, was arrested at 3:20 a.m. Friday on a warrant for failure to appear for arraignment. Watson was transported from the Berwick Police Department to the Morgan City Police Department for an active warrant he held for the City Court of Morgan City. He was jailed.
—Gerald A. Ruffin, 37, of Bush Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:20 a.m. on a warrant for five counts failure to appear for trial. Ruffin was transported from the Berwick Police Department to the Morgan City Police Department for active warrants he held for the City Court of Morgan City. He was jailed.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported the following arrests:
—Garland J. Romero II, 32, of Main Street in Patterson, was arrested at 8:57 a.m. Thursday on charges of seat belt violation, expired motor vehicle inspection sticker, no insurance, switched license plate and driving under suspension. He was jailed with a $1044 bond.
—Shaquita P. Clark, 35, of Railroad Avenue Lot 5 in Franklin, was arrested at 3:38 p.m. Thursday on a charge of felony theft. She was jailed with no bond set.

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Officials in Mississippi are trying to force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Mississippi River Commission to consult with them before opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway in Louisiana again and flooding the region with polluted river water.
A federal lawsuit filed this week by several cities, counties and groups accuses the corps and commission of violating federal law by opening the spillway more frequently. They say the defendants hurt wildlife and localities by opening it for prolonged periods of time without considering the consequences.
The spillway has been opened 14 times since it was built in the 1930s to help manage Mississippi River flooding and navigation. Of those openings, five have happened since 2011. It was opened in 2018 and 2019, marking the first time the spillway was opened for two consecutive years. This year alone, the spillway was opened twice and left open for a total of 123 days. The corps' manual plans for spillway openings ever seven to 10 years to stop rivers from flooding New Orleans.
And the increased rainfall from warming temperatures means the frequent openings will likely continue, the lawsuit says.
The increased opening of the spillway has cause polluted river water to spread throughout the region, according to the lawsuit. It's blamed for issues including high wildlife mortality rates, decreased salinity levels and the spread of potentially toxic algae blooms that led to the monthslong limit of contact with water at beaches and vacation spots. News outlets report the impact was reminiscent of the 2010 BP oil spill, which caused a record number of dolphin and sea turtle corpses to wash ashore.
The president of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and the chair of Mississippi Sound Coalition's Science Advisory Committee said this appears even worse than the oil spill.
"We have a catastrophic loss of our fisheries," Moby Solangi said, according to WXXV-TV. "Oysters are gone. We have hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in tourism, natural resources, and the image. So, if this continues and nothing is done, the Mississippi Sound and the coastal communities are going to suffer."
The U.S. Department of Commerce in September declared a federal fisheries disaster in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana over the Gulf of Mexico's being flooded with fresh water from the spillway's prolonged opening. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has estimated that spillway openings cost fisheries more than $160 million.
The corps opens the spillway after it gets approval from the commission's president, who leads the corps' Mississippi Valley Division.
The lawsuit seeks a temporary injunction that requires the corps to consult local governments about how to minimize the impacts of opening the spillway. It also wants the defendants to study the impacts of frequent spillway openings and offer ways to mitigate damage. Such mitigating actions could include releasing water through other spillways and addressing river pollution, according to the lawsuit.
Reports don't include comment from the defendants.