Brian Kelly did what he could have done in the season opener.

And his LSU team rewarded him with a dramatic victory, and it demonstrated just how far it has come over the course of 9 games.

When Jayden Daniels ran 25 yards for a touchdown on the Tigers’ 1st play of overtime Saturday night, Kelly passed on a tying extra point and went for 2.

Daniels threw a short pass to freshman tight end Mason Taylor, who squeezed across the goal line for the winning points as No. 10 LSU beat No. 6 Alabama, 32-31, sending Tiger Stadium into a frenzy.

Kelly could have done the same thing Sept. 4. It was his 1st game as the Tigers’ head coach, and the game was played about 90 miles away in the Caesars Superdome.

Daniels had just driven the Tigers 99 yards to a touchdown that pulled them within 1 point of Florida State with no time remaining. Kelly did the presumably safe thing, opting for the tying and overtime-inducing kick, but the Seminoles blocked it.

LSU lost a game it could have won.

On Saturday, it won a game no one thought it could after it lost that opener. In fact, no one would have thought it could beat the Crimson Tide until the last couple of weeks — maybe.

After beating Florida 45-35 at The Swamp and previously undefeated Ole Miss 45-20 2 weeks ago at Tiger Stadium, the Tigers started looking like an SEC West contender. It bore little resemblance to the team that lost to Florida State, or the one that was routed by Tennessee 40-13 on Oct. 8.

Even though Daniels had taken LSU the length of the field to reach the cusp of overtime against Florida State, he wasn’t nearly the player he has become during this 3-game winning streak.

He has rushed for 7 touchdowns and passed for 7 more in the past 3 games. He has become the physical and emotional leader of a team that now leads the SEC West.

“Look, you’re gonna get 2nd-guessed if you don’t get it. I get that,” Kelly said of his decision to go for 2 against Bama. “But I just looked at our team, I assessed the situation and I just felt like it was the right thing to do.”

It was the right thing to do.

Daniels and Taylor made sure it was.

In addition to the 2 touchdown passes and the conversion pass, Daniels was efficient while passing for 182 yards and rushing for a team-high 95.

He didn’t connect with a wide receiver for a touchdown, teaming with Taylor and running back John Emery Jr. for the scores. But he judiciously used Kayshon Boutte (7 catches, 51 yards) and Malik Nabers (6 for 49) for unspectacular but chain-moving completions.

Boutte and Nabers had rough moments in the opener. Boutte caught just 2 passes for 20 yards and seemed out of sync with Daniels. Nabers muffed a punt.

But that was then and this is now.

Daniels has developed a comfort level with Bouute, Nabers and the rest of the offense.

Matt House’s defense also continues to evolve.

LSU kept Bama out of the end zone for more than 3 quarters. The Tide seemed headed for the end zone on their 1st possession, but Micah Baskerville pressured Bryce Young, Young made a reckless throw, and Jarrick Bernard-Converse intercepted in the end zone.

Bama went 3-and-out on its next 3 possessions, then kicked field goals on its next 3. After a punt, the Tide did score on their final 4 possessions. The 22 points could have been more, but the Tigers stopped a pair of 2-point conversions.

The Tigers came up with just enough stops to keep giving Daniels and company opportunities. The offense kept taking advantage of them.

Even the special teams, which have had numerous breakdowns this season, continued their recent improvement.

Damian Ramos made his only field-goal attempt, a pressure-packed 32-yarder with 6:52 left that helped LSU get to overtime.

Jay Bramblett averaged 41.8 yards, and half of his 6 punts placed Bama inside its 20, a field-position advantage that eventually led to the Tigers’ 1st touchdown.

The Tide didn’t return a single kickoff or punt.

It was a team effort, as all 3 units contributed significantly to the victory.

They all continued the growth they have shown since the Florida State game, the growth they have accelerated during the past 3 games.

LSU demonstrated that it was a team worthy of Kelly’s confidence.

And when he demonstrated just how confident he was, the Tigers rewarded him — and themselves.