At times, college football is a spectacle first and a sport second. Factors beyond the field of play draw eyes to certain games every Saturday. Florida’s matchup against the Louisiana State Tigers Saturday fit the criteria of a spectacle.
Two first-year head coaches leading historic Southeastern Conference rivals under the lights of the Swamp — of course, these games almost always deliver.
The two offenses combined for 923 yards and 80 points. The contest came down to the closing minutes and a fateful fourth-and-1 completion. The perfect recipe for a marquee matchup.
However, there is one fact that cannot be ignored by college football fans — one team has to go home with a loss. Ultimately, that will come down to the field of play and which team can’t handle the big moment. Oct. 15, that team was Florida.
The Gators (4-3, 1-3 SEC) fell to LSU (5-2, 3-1 SEC) for the fourth-straight season, 45-35. Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels lit up the UF defense to the tune of 349 yards through the air and a career-high six total touchdowns. The Tigers scored on their first six drives of the game.
“Ultimately, with the things that we can control from a coaching perspective and the things that we can do better, we need to do those things better,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said. “I think that we are going to be sick when we watch this tape.”
LSU led the game in almost every offensive category. Tigers head coach Brian Kelly’s offense controlled time of possession, gained nearly 200 more yards and converted nine more first downs than the Gators.
That’s not to say Florida underperformed offensively. More than 300 yards and 35 points should be enough to avoid defeat. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Anthony Richardson snapped his five-game streak of turnovers, dating back to week two against Kentucky.
“We needed to win that one,” Richardson said. “So, we’re not really happy about that.”
He led the team in passing and rushing yards while cashing in two touchdowns of his own. His second score — an electrifying 81-yard run — sparked the near 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter before a Tigers fourth-down conversion and field goal iced the game.
Florida’s swiss army rushing attack was efficient as well. Richardson plus a trio of Montrell Johnson Jr.,Trevor Etienne and Lorenzo Lingard combined for 210 yards, toppling LSU’s 179.
Ultimately, the Gators’ offense could not make up for every mistake its defense made. The result of Saturday’s loss proves UF’s football team in its current state is not sustainable.
“You know, we really, really fought and came back,” UF redshirt junior wide receiver Justin Shorter said. “So, I think we were all really into it, and I think that took a little toll on [Napier], but we all picked him up, just like how he picks us up, too.”
While Florida has the week off to recover from the defeat, there is an immense amount of work to do ahead of its next matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs. UGA is the No. 1 team in the nation and will be the Gators’ toughest matchup this season by far.
The Bulldogs rank top 10 in scoring offense and are second in scoring defense. They’ve beaten each of their seven opponents this season by an average margin of 32.6 and have won by less than two scores only once.
It’s not outlandish to think Florida’s performance versus LSU won’t cut it against Georgia. At this point, a victory in Jacksonville is probably beyond the Gators’ potential, but a blowout defeat to the team’s fiercest rival is never a good look.
Beyond Georgia, Napier and UF are still three wins away from bowl eligibility, with a trip to Kyle Field to take on Texas A&M scheduled alongside the perennial Florida State game in Tallahassee.
While the most difficult portion of Florida’s SEC schedule is nearly over with, there are still many questions that remain surrounding the Gators.
Florida’s annual neutral-site meeting with Georgia is set for Oct. 29 at 3:30 p.m. The game from TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville will be broadcast on CBS.
Contact Jackson Castellano at jcastellano@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @jaxacastellano.
Jackson Castellano is a third-year sports media journalism student and the Digital Managing Editor at The Alligator for Spring 2024. In the past, he's served as the Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor and a Sports Reporter covering Football, Men's basketball and Baseball.
