Field Level Media
Oct 6, 2018
Stymied most of the second half, No. 22 Florida drove 75 yards for the go-ahead touchdown , and cornerback Brad Stewart Jr. returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown with 1:45 left to lift the Gators to a 27-19 victory over No. 5 and previously unbeaten LSU Saturday in Gainesville, Fla.
Trailing 19-14, Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks directed a nine-play scoring drive, capped by Lamical Perine's 2-yard run, to give the Gators (5-1, 3-1 SEC) a one-point lead with 8:48 left. Florida's previous five second-half possessions had resulted in a Franks interception and four punts.
Perine's go-ahead score was set up by a throwback pass from tight end Lucas Krull to Franks for a 15-yard gain to the LSU 2. Franks' pass for the two-point conversion sailed into the stands.
LSU (5-1, 2-1) got the ball back at its 12-yard line with 2:21 left needing a field goal to win, but quarterback Joe Burrow's third-down pass in the right flat was picked off by Stewart, who raced 25 yards for a 27-19 Florida lead.
The Tigers got the ball back with 1:45 remaining, but Burrow was picked off by safety Donovan Stiner at the Florida 34 to end the game.
LSU running back Nick Brossette, held in check for most of the game, exploded for runs of 31 and 49 yards and capped off an 80-yard drive with a 1-yard go-ahead score to give LSU a 19-14 lead with 11:14 left. LSU's two-point conversion failed.
The Tigers trailed 14-10 at the half but took advantage of great field position -- the Florida 42 -- to pull within 14-13 on Cole Tracy's 42-yard field goal with 4:16 left in the third quarter.
Florida took a 14-10 lead just before the half on Franks' 3-yard pass in the left corner to Moral Stephens. The big play on the 75-yard, seven-play drive came on Franks' 35-yard pass to Josh Hammond to the LSU 3.
LSU drove 75 yards with the opening kickoff to take a 7-0 lead on Brossette's 4-yard burst off left guard.
The Tigers were driving for another score on their next series, but Florida defensive end Jachai Polite had a blind-side strip-sack of Burrow, and the Gators ended that threat by recovering at the Florida 33.
The Gators sacked Burrow three times in the first half, which helped them change field position. After linebacker Vosean Joseph came clean to sack Burrow inside the LSU 5, the Gators got the ball back at LSU's 43 and tied it, 7-7, in nine plays on Perine's 1-yard run.
Two Tigers series later, Burrow ran 21 yards on a read-option to the Florida 24, setting up Tracy's 33-yard field goal, giving the Tigers a 10-7 lead.
--Field Level Media