THE STORY: It’s all fallen apart.
A team that three weeks ago looked like a threat to win the SEC now looks like one without a strength.
LSU couldn’t produce more than one touchdown against a Florida defense that has been steamrolled by Southeastern Conference foes all season. The offensive line without Garrett Dellinger allowed seven sacks of Garrett Nussmeier. Entering the game, LSU had allowed six. The result was Nussmeier being taken out of the game for a play with 2:31 left because he’d be battered so badly.
The defense missed two opportunities at interceptions and allowed Florida to score 27 points despite a massive time of possession disparity. DJ Lagway was unable to use his legs at all. He didn’t have to. The freshman stood tall and made big throws to beat the Tiger secondary.
What was a tenacious pass rush early in the season failed to produce a single sack for the second straight week.
The Tigers are completely out of the postseason picture and now have to decide what there is to play for over the last two weeks. It’s been a pretty shocking free fall.
THE STATS: LSU won the time of possession 41:43 to 18:17
LSU ran 92 plays to Florida’s 43.
Only one of LSU’s 92 plays went for 25+ yards.
Florida had seven sacks. LSU had allowed six all season entering the game.
LSU failed to produce a sack for the second straight week.
Bough’s game-sealing touchdown run was 55 yards. Prior to that LSU had allowed just 58 yards rushing in the game.
LSU was 13-24 on 3rd downs and 2-for-4 on furth down. Florida was just 3-for-9 on 3rd down.
Caden Durham had 19 carries for 91 yards. LSU ran the ball 44 times, a season high, for 120 yards.
LSU was outscored 14-3 in the fourth quarter despite winning time of possession 11:49-3:11.
THE PLAYS: LSU gambled early. On fourth and one from midfield, LSU ran a pop pass to Zavion Thomas who was chopped down in the backfield for a loss. The Gators took over on the LSU 46. Thanks to a couple of Gator penalties Florida could do anything with the gifted field position.
After Florida drove down and scored the game’s first touchdown, LSU tried to answer but was forced to try a 51-yard field goal. Florida pressured the kick by leaping the line of scrimmage, and Ramos pushed it right.
LSU knotted the score with a really strong 84-yard touchdown drive. Nussmeier found Williams for a pair of big third down pickups. He saved his best third down throw for last, though. On 3rd and 9, Nussmeier stepped up and floated a perfect ball to Anderson in the endzone for a 28-yard score. Ramos’s extra point tied the LSU record for consecutive PATs made.
After Florida’s Trey Smack drilled a 48-yarder to give the Gators a 10-7 lead, LSU responded with a drive into Gator territory that was capped by a 50-yard field goal by Ramos. That career-long tied things up with 10 seconds to play in the first half.
A strip sack of Nussmeier that Paul Mubenga recovered set up a 3rd and 12 from LSU’s own eight. LSU decided to call a draw play to Josh Williams. The senior tailback burst up the middle of the field and picked up 16 yards for a first down to kick-start a drive that looked killed.
LSU drove down the field and appeared to have a go-ahead touchdown, but CJ Daniels’s score was wiped out by an offensive pass interference.
Ramos split the uprights with a 45-yarder two plays later. 13-10 LSU with 5:54 left in the third.
Lagway found Ja’Kobi Jackson for 14 yards down to the LSU 20, but holding was called. That set up a 2nd and 20. Three plays later Smack hammered a career-long 55 yard field goal to tie the score at 13 with 3:07 left in the third.
After nearly three clean quarters, LSU turned the ball over. Nussmeier was stripped on a third down rollout. The ball ended up in the hands of Emery Jones who tried to advance the ball for a first down. He was hit and fumbled. Florida scooped it up at the LSU 35 with 2:05 to play in the third.
Two plays into the fourth quarter, Lagway fired a missile to Badger for 36 yards down to the one. Bradyn Swinson came free on an edge rush, but Lagway avoided him to make the downfield throw. Jackson waltzed in on the next play to give Florida a 20-13 lead.
On 3rd and 11 from the LSU 24 with the Swamp in full throat, Nussmeier found Daniels over the middle for 21 yards.
Four plays later LSU had a 4th and 4. It was Nussmeier to Daniels again. Nussmeier avoided pressure to his left and threw back to the middle of the field up to the Florida 42.
LSU just kept coming. Another 4th and 4. Another conversion. This one to Taylor down to the Gator 21 with 7:56 to play.
After those three huge conversions, LSU finally stalled at the 21. Ramos connected from 38. 20-16 Florida with 5:18 to play.
LSU’s run defense held up much of the night. It finally buckled. Jadan Baugh ripped off a 55-yard touchdown run to give Florida a 10 point lead with 3:49 to play.
