Florida defense, special teams huge in gritty win over LSU

The Texas A&M Aggies are 8-3 this season as they play their final regular season game of the year.

It’s not simply because the Gators were supposed to host LSU this season before Hurricane Matthew blew ashore in October. The Tigers are 3-0 following a loss in 2016 and are averaging 38 points per game in those wins.

“It looks like we’ll be covering a coaching search”, one media member mumbled on the elevator while headed to interim head coach Ed Orgeron’s postgame wrap-up. One play would have led to a touchdown, the other to LSU having a first down just outside of field goal range with over a minute to play before halftime.

On fourth down with three seconds left and the ball on the one-yard line, the Gators knew what was at stake.

“We let them do the talking and we did the playing”, said Gators quarterback Austin Appleby. “It would have been a great victory”. Guice lost a fumble in the red zone in the second quarter. 7-10 Florida at 8:57 in the 3rd QTR. LSU ran for 219 yards and averaged nearly five yards per attempt. On third-and-goal from the 1, Perine fumbled a poor pitch from Appleby, and Florida settled for a Pineiro field goal from 26 yards.

LSU marched to the Florida 7-yard line with 7:34 left in the second quarter, but Gator defensive lineman Caleb Brantley forced Guice to fumble, and linebacker Kylan Johnson recovered at the 12-yard line.

In what was assuredly his last game at Tiger Stadium, Fournette went out the wrong way. “It was a good effort; we didn’t execute”.

The Gators were SEC East champs again, setting up a rematch of 2015’s league title game with Alabama and leaving another longtime bitter rival, Tennessee, shaking its head over one more missed opportunity for an East crown just as its game against Missouri began. Danny Etling completed a short pass to Malachi Dupre for six yards, that not only didn’t get the Tigers the winning score, but didn’t get a first down, which saw a precious 15 seconds run off the clock.

Florida’s victory also ended a lot of drama between the two teams that began when the originally scheduled game at Florida was canceled because of Hurricane Matthew on October 8.

From an LSU perspective, this one hurts. Meanwhile, LSU gained 423 yards and had its share of bungles, while the Gators committed zero turnovers. The 98-yard touchdown pass by the Gators from Appleby to Cleveland sparked this team and carried them to victory. However, getting to Atlanta for the 2016 SEC Championship Game would be another huge accomplishment for the Florida football program. “A 14-3 lead with our defense?”

Though Jackson was not available for interviews after the game, White said he felt like his teammate was able to move past the first gaffe.

LSU and Florida were originally scheduled to play on October 8, but the game was postponed because of Hurricane Matthew. Fournette, who originally wasn’t expected to play, chose to play after the scuffle. Apparently that was enough to assure Fournette would lace up the pads.

“Us, as players, we wanted to play so bad”, he said. McElwain stated to reporters that LSU, “got what they deserved” throwing another log onto what was already a almost out-of-control flame. After readjusting his feet, Guice attempted to leap over the goal line, but it was too late as he was turned away by the Florida defense, capping off a brutal day for the Tigers.