WATCH: LSU defender Jay Ward lays questionable hit on Anthony Richardson, stays in game

LSU safety Jay Ward took some heat Saturday for a perceived dirty hit to Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. On a play in the third quarter, Ward hit Richardson low near his knees as he landed awkwardly on the play.

Ward was called for roughing the passer on the play, but a Florida offensive lineman was called for unnecessary roughness and the penalties offset. The hit elicited a strong response from analyst Greg McElroy, who condemned Ward for the play and equated it to targeting.

“That’s uncalled for,” McElroy said. “To me as a quarterback, that’s no different than targeting. I understand he’s a big guy and he’s on the run, (but) you are hitting him in the knee. That to me is inexcusable. Should be a 30-yard penalty.”

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Thankfully, Anthony Richardson was not injured on the play and remained in the game, as did Jay Ward after his questionable hit. Just a few plays later, Richardson showed he was fine by breaking off on an 81-yard touchdown run that was one of the highlights of the entire evening.

Brian Kelly makes LSU history with win against Florida

LSU coach Brian Kelly entered program history following Saturday’s 45-35 victory against Florida in The Swamp. According to the Tigers’ Twitter account, Kelly is the first LSU coach to claim victories in both Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and Auburn‘s Jordan-Hare Stadium in the same season.

The milestone is made even more impressive considering Kelly is in just his first season in Baton Rouge. So far he has led the Tigers to a 5-2 record, including 3-1 in SEC play. Their only conference loss came against Tennessee, which defeated No. 3 Alabama on Saturday and sits at 6-0.

LSU led by as many as three touchdowns in the second half Saturday before allowing Florida to come back and make it a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter. However, after Damian Ramos nailed a 47-yard field goal with 1:52 remaining to make it 45-35, Florida was unable to answer.

Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels totaled a career-high six touchdowns in the win (three passing, three rushing). He finished the game 23-of-32 passing for 349 yards in addition to 44 yards rushing on 14 carries.

After starting the season with a loss against Florida State, Brian Kelly has managed to turn things around. Saturday’s win against Florida puts the Tigers one victory away from matching their win total from last year. LSU will have another tough test to get there though, as it faces No. 9 Ole Miss next Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT.