The Florida Gators lost to the LSU Tigers in an offensive battle at Death Valley. Both teams are struggling this season, but this matchup is always big for both teams. Quarterback Anthony Richardson took the role as starting quarterback in this game, and he continues to impress regardless of his errant mistakes. Here’s a recap of the Saturday thriller between LSU and Florida.
Recap
Offense
Dan Mullen chose to use both quarterbacks in this game: Emory Jones and Richardson. The Gators did not get off to a great start, and they would’ve only had six points in the first half if not for a Hail Mary miracle at the end of the half. Both Jones and Richardson threw for 170 yards each, but they combined for four interceptions.
The running game never really got going for Florida either. Sure, Richardson had some good runs on his quarterback sneaks, but Dameon Pierce and Nay’Quan Wright were limited due to the LSU defensive front dominating the line of scrimmage. Justin Shorter was the primary target for both quarterbacks as he caught the Hail Mary and finished with 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Other than the interceptions, the Florida Gators did play a clean offensive game. Richardson is still a freshman, but he shows promise as both a runner and passer; in fact, his game is similar to that of Cam Newton. Mullen is an offensive genius, but that’s only one side of the ball.
Defense
Before the game, everyone expected that LSU quarterback Max Johnson would have to throw for 400 yards to win this game. However, he was more of a game-manager, throwing for only 130 yards and three touchdowns. That is a solid effort given the incredible performance of running back Tyrion Davis-Price. He had 36 carries for 287 yards and three touchdowns.
The dominance by LSU’s offensive line only became apparent in the fourth quarter. When the game was tied at 35, LSU led two drives to two touchdowns by only rushing the ball. It just didn’t make sense because Florida was controlling on the line of scrimmage against Alabama but not LSU.
Receiver Jaray Jenkins also had a big day with 50 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The LSU Tigers were without two of their best receiving threats in Kayshon Boutte and Deion Smith. For two straight years, the Florida Gators got beat by a depleted LSU Tigers team. Props to Davis-Price for his performance; he has a future in the NFL.
Concluding Thoughts
The Florida Gators are now 4-3 heading into a big-time SEC East matchup against Georgia. Florida’s defense is in need of major improvement, and Todd Grantham’s job as defensive coordinator has to be called into question at this point. Still, Florida can make up for everything in their matchup against Georgia next week. The season is not over.