University of FloridaÕs Graham Mertz (15) hands off the football to teammate Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (Augustus Hoff/WRUF)

Gator Football Falls to No. 19 LSU in Death Valley

Scarlett Cooney November 12, 2023 College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, NCAA, SEC 304 Views

It was an offensive showdown in Death Valley, but the Florida football team ultimately fell to the #19 LSU Tigers 52-35  on Saturday night in Baton Rouge.  Florida is now 5-5 overall and 3-4 in SEC play.

Tigers Strike First

The first quarter actually started a bit slowly on offense.  LSU jumped out first on a one yard rushing touchdown from running back Josh Williams to put the Tigers up 7-0.

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But their lead didn’t last long. Graham Mertz and the Gators marched down the field and capped off their first offensive drive with a nine yard touchdown from Eugene Wilson III after a pop pass from Mertz. Trey Smack made the point after to tie the game 7-7.

Florida fans held their breath as it appeared LSU was going to extend its lead. But the Gators had other plans.  Two huge stops later and the Tigers came up short on fourth and goal to keep the score tied at seven.

But shortly thereafter, LSU forced a turnover as Bradyn Swinson knocked the ball out of Mertz’s hands and the Tiger offense took the field once again.

But two consecutive sacks from Jaydon Hill and Derek Wingo cut the Tiger drive short and the game remained tied after the first quarter.  But the offensive fireworks would begin soon.

Second Quarter Offense

Early in the second quarter, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels ran for 37 yards to place the Tigers at the 11 yard line. They couldn’t find the end zone, thanks to the Gator defense, and settled for a field goal to extend their lead 10-7.

There was a close call on the Gators’ next drive when LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. knocked the football out of Mertz’s hands. Florida offensive lineman Austin Barber was able to recover the ball and hand it off to tight end Arlis Boardingham before a Tiger could take it.

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Jayden the Jet

But the Tigers would eventually score on an 85 yard touchdown run by quarterback Jayden Daniels, who had a career night against the Gators.  He put the Tigers up 17-7.

Two offensive drives later, Florida’s offense finally tacked on some more points. Running back Trevor Etienne walked into the end zone on a seven yard rushing touchdown to cut LSU’s lead to three.

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Offensive Showdown

The Tigers tacked on another six early in the third quarter as freshman Kaleb Jackson walked into the end zone untouched, extending LSU’s lead to 27-14.

But the Gators clawed back thanks in part to a nice grab by wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to put the Gators in Tiger territory. Etienne cashed in on Florida’s momentum and added his second touchdown of the night to put the Gators within one score.

Florida’s defense came up big on the next drive with a fumble recovery on the kickoff to the Tigers.  Mertz marched his team down the field and capped the drive off with his own one yard touchdown and the Gators were in striking distance of the lead.

It was a memorable game for Mertz as he broke Tim Tebow’s Gator record for most pass attempts without an interception (204).  But the night was also memorable for Daniels and he scored from 51 yards out to increase the LSU lead.

It seemed to be another drive, another touchdown for the Tigers. A 53-yard pass to wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. set up a a touchdown from Noah Cain to give LSU another score and a 10 point lead.

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Final Shot for Florida

The Gators weren’t going down without a fight. Etienne added a third touchdown on a five yard run, adding a Gator chomp in the end zone for the fans.  But the Gator defense had no answer for Daniels and the LSU offense all night and Lance Thomas Jr. hauled in a 37-yard pass from Daniels to keep the Tigers out front.

Daniels became the first player in FBS history with 350+ passing yards and 200+ rushing yards in a single game. He capped off the night with yet another touchdown pass to Thomas Jr. and he ended the night accounting for 606 yards and five touchdowns in the LSU victory.

Despite putting up a tough fight, Florida ultimately fell short of the Tigers 52-35 in the 70th meeting of these two teams and LSU took control of the overall series 34-33-3.  Next up for Florida, it doesn’t get any easier as the Gators travel to play nationally ranked Missouri on the road next Saturday night.

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About Scarlett Cooney

Scarlett Cooney is a senior journalism student specializing in sports and media.

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