The Quick Slant: LSU 35, Gators 28 (Instant Analysis)
Sunday, October 18, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The stage was set Saturday night for a classic SEC game between two teams ranked in the top 10 at sold-out Tiger Stadium.
This one lived up to the hype.
LSU scored the game-winning points in the fourth quarter on a fake field when kicker Trent Domingue took a pitch from holder Brad Kragthorpe and raced 16 yards for a touchdown as the No. 6-ranked Tigers held off the No. 8-ranked Gators 35-28 in front of more than 102,000 fans.
Florida (6-1, 4-1) tied the game on freshman Antonio Callaway's 72-yard punt return after LSU (6-0, 4-0) stormed to a 28-14 halftime lead by scoring 28 points in the second quarter.
Hope wasn't lost for the Gators until quarterback Treon Harris' final pass of the game with four seconds left. The pass sailed out of bounds as LSU celebrated its third consecutive victory over the Gators.
Here is our quick take on Florida's visit to Baton Rouge:
WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators are no longer undefeated, but based on the way they played in a hostile environment and in the wake of the week's events, this Florida team is for real. Don't be surprised if these teams meet again in the SEC Championship Game in December.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Gators quarterback Treon Harris became the starter when Will Grier was suspended on Monday by the NCAA. Harris finished 17 of 32 for 271 yards and two touchdowns to prove he is capable of leading this Florida team to success the rest of the season if he can correct some of the issues on Florida's last couple of drives when the passing game fizzled.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators trailed 28-14 at halftime as LSU rolled up 304 yards in the first half (189 passing, 115 rushing). The Florida defense entered the game ranked fourth in the conference, surrending only 296.3 yards per game. The Gators limited LSU to 119 yards in the second half.
SUBPLOT: The primary storyline before the game was the matchup between Florida's physical and talented defense and LSU Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette. Fournette rushed for 180 yards on 31 carries. Fournette averaged 5.8 yards per carry, well below his season average of 8.6, so the Florida defense slowed him down. However, the Gators learned what others before them: the sophomore sensation appears impossible to shut down completely.
UP NEXT: The Gators enter the bye week atop the SEC East and have an opportunity to develop the offense more with Harris the starting quarterback. Florida's next game is its annual clash against Georgia in Jacksonville -- on Halloween this year. The Bulldogs defeated Missouri 9-6 on Saturday.
