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A win for a # 5 LSU over Florida in The Swamp on Saturday would have resulted in a scoring match against # 2 Georgia at Baton Rouge next weekend.
No. 22 Florida had other ideas.
The Gators, behind a hasty attack and some creative play attempts from Dan Mullen, won a frustrating 27-19 win. Florida scored 213 yards in the win, with Lamical Perine and Jordan Scarlett in the lead.
Perine's two-yard offense with 8:48 to play gave Florida a lead she would not give up. And the winning score was set up by Mullen, a nifty call.
After 19-14 years, Mullen had a first player turn and 10 LSU. Quarterback Feleipe Franks left the ball to Lucas Krull. While it seemed that Krull weighed 6 feet 6 inches and 255 pounds, he turned to look at Franks, who had escaped from the backfield. Krull, a southpaw, managed a perfect pass, hitting Franks up to the two-yard line.
As of the next game, Perine was in the end zone for his second game score, giving the Gators a 20-19 lead in 8: 48 to play.
LSU would have three more tries in attack. The first resulted in a punt. The second resulted in the first interception of the season by Joe Burrow, which allowed Florida, Brad Stewart, to return 25 yards for a score.
At that point, he was still a 27-19 lead for a Florida possession. That meant the Tigers still had a draw attempt. Burrow led his team to midfield, but launched another interception, sealing the Gators' surprise victory.
What does this mean for LSU?
LSU is definitely better than most people thought at the start of the season – but this # 5 ranking was a bit of the madman's gold. The Tigers have not been able to generate a lot of explosive games in attack, especially in the passing game, at this point of the year, and this has proven costly against Florida .
The efforts of the offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger, to start the game were superb. The Tigers totaled 75 yards in 10 games to take a 7-0 lead, but the offensive seemed predictable and unimaginative for the rest of the way.
Florida's defensive line has been a problem for LSU all afternoon. Nick Brossette and Clyde Edwards-Helaire were bottled. Brossette was able to amass 79 yards with only three starts at the start of the fourth quarter, but he had only 16 yards on 12 outings.
Burrow's magic has run out too. The Ohio State Graduate Transfer Quarter led the Tigers to defeat Miami and Auburn, but could not do the same against Florida. He was 19 out of 34 for 191 yards and two interceptions, the first two of his college career. Both of these choices arrived in the final minutes as he was trying to bring his team back to the end of the deficit.
LSU, however, has plenty of opportunities to stay in the picture of the college football playoffs. The aforementioned Georgia Bulldogs will travel to Death Valley next Saturday, as well as No. 1 in Alabama on November 3rd.
What does it mean for Florida?
Pencil in the Gators to the list of SEC East contenders, and put them high enough on the list.
Georgia is the class of this division and everyone knows it. At the present time, Kentucky No. 13 is right behind the Bulldogs. UK has made a lot of noise and can improve to 6-0 (for the first time since 1950) with a win over the Texas A & M on Saturday night. Now, with the victory over LSU to its credit, Florida has invested.
When UF lost to Kentucky for the first time since 1986, nobody knew what to do with Gators in their first season under Mullen. Since then, we have learned that Kentucky is a reality. And now, it is quite obvious that UF is well improved. The offensive is not exactly a juggernaut, but Mullen's creativity allows his manufacturers to play in the space of giving the ball to a way Jim McElwain had never dreamed of.
And when you look at the calendar, Georgia is obviously on October 27. But beyond that, each match is very winnable. A season with up to nine or 10 wins will be a real pillar for Mullen.
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