5 plays that swung LSU's 27-16 loss at Florida
LSU and Florida headed to the fourth quarter tied Saturday in Gainesville, Fla.
But the early night quickly got long for the visiting Tigers (6-4, 3-3) as their hopes in not only the game, but their potential paths to the SEC Championship Game and a 10-win season all unraveled with one frustrating play after another.
The Gators (5-5, 3-4) harassed LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier throughout the second half and scored the fourth quarter’s lone touchdowns to stretch out a 27-16 lead.
Here’s a look at five of the most impactful plays that pushed the game in favor of the home team.
Keeping the lead, opening the floodgates
LSU continued its strong season protecting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to start the afternoon. The Tigers had allowed just six combined sacks in their first nine games and nearly reached halftime without allowing a seventh. But Florida linebacker Shemar James got to Nussmeier just before the break, disrupting a promising drive and forcing LSU to settle for a game-tying field goal instead of a potentially managed to take a lead into the locker room. The Tigers had picked up four first downs to that point in the possession, but quickly went from a second-and-10 at the 25-yard line with 45 seconds on the clock to a rushed third-and-18 play at the 33-yard line with 19 seconds remaining until half. The play also seemed to open the floodgates to seven eventual sacks in the contest, more than doubling the Tigers’ season total
Points off the board
LSU managed to strike first to break the teams’ 10-10 halftime tie, but had to settle for just three points after having appeared to reach the end zone. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier hit C.J. Daniels on a third-and-9 play for a 13-yard touchdown, but officials called Kyren Lacy for offensive pass interference on a pick. The penalty pushed the Tigers back to a third-and-24 from the 28-yard line and left them settling for a field goal and the 13-10 lead, instead of 17-10 — four points that could’ve changed the complexion of the game down the stretch.
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Home momentum mounting
The game was tied again, 13-13, late in the third quarter when Florida managed to snatch the game’s only takeaway. Both teams had avoided turnovers to that point — the Gators as LSU dropped multiple potential interceptions, and the Tigers as freshman guard Paul Mubenga pounced on a loose ball on a Florida strip-sack early in the third. Another LSU offensive lineman appeared to salvage another sack-fumble late with just over two minutes remaining in the third as junior tackle Emery Jones Jr. corralled the ball and took off running in an attempt to convert a third-and-6. Instead, Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks forced and recovered a fumble. The Ben Hill Griffin Stadium roared, and momentum — and sacks — continued to mount for the Gators.
Lagway stands and delivers
LSU edge-rusher Bradyn Swinson has added some notable juice upon his entry to the game in the second quarter and was closing in on Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway and another big play in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. But Lagway felt the pressure, stepped up in the pocket to elude Swinson and delivered a strike deep to the left for a 36-yard connection with Elijhah Badger to set up a goal-line, go-ahead touchdown by Ja’Kobi Jackson the next play. The Gators took the 20-13 lead with the extra point and never relinquished even a share of the lead again.
Knockout punch
Florida held LSU to just a field goal at the end of a promising drive that ate nearly nine minutes off the fourth-quarter clock. And the Gators wasted little time extending that lead with an effective knockout punch in the final minutes. Lagway hit tight end Hayden Hansen, wide-open for 19 yards, on second down. And then freshman running back Jadan Baugh hit a nearly wide-open running lane, made one defender miss and was gone 55 yards to the end zone and, effectively, the 27-16 victory.
