BATON ROUGE — It didn?t take the Florida Gators very long to forget about last weekend?s 40-39 loss to Alabama. Two plays to be exact.
The Gators moved 80-yards in just two plays and took a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game and never looked back, sending the LSU Tigers (2-3) to their third consecutive loss, 31-10.
The Tiger offense was unable to take advantage of four Florida turnovers the LSU defense forced, generating only 10 points off those turnovers. The Gator defense confused LSU all day long and held the Tigers to -7 yards rushing and only 165 yards of total offense on the day.
In the end, however, it was three plays that stood out. A 73-yard pass from Florida quarterback Doug Johnson to Darrell Jackson on the first play of the game, a 100-yard kickoff return by Bo Carroll and a bad snap on an LSU punt that helped the Gators to a commanding 24-3 halftime lead.
The three big plays stand out, along with the fact that we had trouble generating and attack today, that?s obvious,? said LSU head coach Gerry DiNardo. ?I didn?t think that we could throw every down and give our defense a fair chance.?
Johnson hit a streaking Jackson over the middle of the field for a 73-yard gain to the Tiger seven-yard line on the opening play of the game. The very next play Robert Gillespie waltzed into the endzone untouched from seven yards out for a quick 7-0 lead just 39 seconds into the game.
After a quick three-and-out by the Tiger offense, Florida took control of the ball at the LSU 37-yard line. The Gators drove all the way to the LSU five-yard line before the Johnson missed Jackson on a third down pass and Florida settled for a 22-yard field goal from Jeff Chandler and a 10-0 lead.
Florida seemed poised to put this one away early, but the Tiger defense came up with a pair of big plays. With Florida at the LSU 11-yard line, Muskingum Barnes forced a Gillespie fumble that Jarvis Green quickly pounced on. On the Gators next possession, the speedy Bo Carroll coughed up the ball without being hit and Treverance Faulk quickly recovered the loose ball. Faulk?s fumble set the stage for an 11-play, 51-yard drive for the Tiger offense that culminated with a 22-yard John Corbello field goal.
Carroll atoned for his mistake the next time he got his hands on the ball. The track and field All-American took the kick following Corbello?s field goal back 100 yards to give Florida a 17-3 lead with 12:04 remaining in the second quarter.
Clarence LeBlanc picked off Johnson on Florida?s next drive on a third and 16 play from the LSU 28. A bad snap on an LSU punt four plays later, however, gave the Gators the ball deep in Tiger territory where Johnson closed out the first half scoring with a 27-yard strike to Alex Willis.
Despite being handed three turnovers by its defense, the LSU offense was outgained 251-32 in the first half, as Josh Booty hit on only 6 of 15 passes in the opening half.
A heavy rain extending from the end of the first half almost all the way through the third quarter wreaked havoc with both offenses ability to move the ball. Despite the horrible conditions, the Tigers accounted for the only points of the third quarter when Booty hit Robert Royal with a 10-yard pass on fourth down with just over three minutes left in the quarter.
The LSU defense tightened things up and held the Gators to only 94 yards in the second half.
LSU had a fantastic opportunity to get back into the game as the third quarter closed. The Gators were called for a personal foul on a Tiger punt, giving LSU a first-and-10 at midfield. Booty then closed the third quarter with a seven-yard pass to Jerel Myers to move the Tigers to the Gator 43-yard line. Shortly into the fourth quarter, however, Booty was picked off for the second time on the day, this time by Daryl Dixon, stopping the Tigers? threat.
The Tigers had numerous opportunities to cut into the Gator lead, but could not get the job done offensively. Dixon sealed the game with just over two minutes remaining with his second pick of the game on a third and 11 play from the Florida 39. Booty finished the game just 18 of 42 for 172 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
Gillespie closed out the scoring with just 45 seconds remaining with a 20-yard run five plays after Booty?s third interception.
The loss dropped the Tigers to 0-3 in league play. LSU returns to action next Saturday with a game against Kentucky in Lexington. The Tigers and Wildcats will kick off at 11:30 a.m. with JP Sports carrying the broadcast.