The Florida Gators defeated the LSU Tigers 16-10 to earn an appearance in the SEC title game.
Make no mistake about it: this was a huge win for Jim McElwain’s squad. Sure, LSU had three losses coming into this contest, but the Tigers have played like a completely different team under the leadership of Ed Orgeron. Considering that LSU throttled Arkansas – which beat Florida 31-10 two weeks ago – many experts expected the Bayou Bengals to win this game easily.
At the end of the first half, it looked like the experts were right. Yes, LSU only led 7-3, but it held the Gators to just 60 yards of total offense. The Tiger defense got even better as the half progressed, forcing Florida to three straight three-and-outs heading into the locker room.
The Gators would eclipse that total on the first play of the second half. Backed up in his own end zone, Austin Appleby threw a perfect deep ball to Tyrie Cleveland, who shrugged off an LSU defender for a 98-yard touchdown. This surprise strike opened things up for running back Jordan Scarlett, who finished the afternoon with 108 yards.
As well as the offense played, it was the Florida defense that made the victory possible. After giving up a touchdown on the first drive of the game, the Gator D limited the Tigers to just three points the rest of the way. While that stat is impressive in and of itself, it’s worth noting that LSU only got three points in its last four trips inside the red zone. That includes the final drive of the game, in which the Florida defense stuffed the Tigers twice from the one-yard line.
With the victory, the Gators clinched the SEC East title to earn a date with Alabama in the conference championship game. Even if Florida doesn’t win that contest, there’s still a good chance that the team will earn a spot in the Sugar Bowl. Remember, LSU came into the game as the hottest team in the conference not named Alabama. Unless Auburn miraculously upsets the Crimson Tide next week, the Gators’ 6-2 mark in SEC play would be better than any other team that’s eligible for the Sugar Bowl. It’s hard to imagine Florida not getting the nod in that case, especially after a win over at LSU – arguably the second-best team in the conference – in Baton Rouge.
