SERIES HISTORY: LSU and Florida

By Hunt Palmer

When the SEC instituted permanent opponents in 1992, LSU and Florida got paired off.

The programs, both founding members of the SEC, had played annually since 1971. Because Georgia and Auburn were determined to play every year and Tennessee and Alabama shared that wish, LSU and Florida were forced to follow suit.

Since that day 33 years ago, LSU and Florida have won the SEC 12 times, claimed six national championships and three Heisman Trophies.

It’s a rivalry based on greatness, not geography.

Steve Spurrier owned LSU in the 1990s. From 1988 through 2001, LSU only won once, a stunning 28-21 win over No. 1 Florida in Tiger Stadium in October of 1997.

Florida outscored LSU 315-93 in the other nine games in the 90s. That’s an average of 35-10 which sound favorable compared to some of the results—58-3 in 1993 and 56-13 in 1996 chief among them.

Then one legend left Gainesville, and another showed up in Baton Rouge.

When Spurrier departed Florida after the 2001 season, Nick Saban had LSU’s program pointed upward. The Tigers crushed Ron Zook and Florida 36-7 in Gainesville, the beginning of a stretch of three wins in four years and four wins in six years for the Tigers.

Post-Spurrier, the game has been played 23 times, and LSU has won 15 of the 23.

Last season in Gainesville, Florida snapped a five-game Tiger winning streak. LSU has won nine of the last 13 contests.

That’s evened this rivalry up.

The teams have played 71 times, each winning 34 with three ties.

LSU has beaten the Gators six of seven times in Baton Rouge. Florida’s only win during that stretch came in the wild 2016 game that was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew and moved from Gainesville. Darrius Guice was turned away at the goalline on LSU’s final snap to preserve a 16-10 Florida victory.

In the last game between these two in Tiger Stadium, Jayden Daniels all but etched his own name on the Heisman Trophy. He ran for 234 yards, passed for 372 and accounted for five touchdowns in one of the greatest performances in SEC history. He was the first player in FBS history to run for 200 yards and throw for 350 in a game, and his 606 yards of offense set an SEC record.

Between hurricanes, visors, Heismans, fourth downs, thrown shoes, fake field goals and mistimed fireworks which preceded a game-winning Florida field goal in Tiger Stadium in 1989, it’s been a wild rivalry between national powers.

With the SEC expanding to 16 teams and a nine-game schedule on the way, these two could lose that annual game.

What was an arranged marriage in the early 90s has blossomed into something great.

OVERALL RECORD: 34-34-3

IN BATON ROUGE: 19-17 LSU

IN GAINESVILLE: 17-15-3 FLORIDA