Gators head coach Dan Mullen after Saturday's 42-28 loss at LSU. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)
Gators Have No Time to Wallow in What Could Have Been
Sunday, October 13, 2019 | Football, Scott Carter
BATON ROUGE, La. – Once it was over and the teams converged at midfield following a good old-fashioned Southeastern Conference shootout, the Tiger Stadium public-address announcer shouted into his microphone.
What a game. What a game. What a night.
It was that and more, starting with 968 yards of total offense.
For casual fans watching on TV, fifth-ranked LSU's 42-28 victory over No. 7 Florida provided high-quality entertainment Saturday night. For the majority of fans among the sellout crowd of more than 102,000, they headed for the exits ready to hand LSU quarterback Joe Burrow the Heisman Trophy. As for those in orange and blue, disappointment set in as soon as Gators quarterback Kyle Trask was dropped for a loss on UF's final play with 49 seconds remaining.
With Tiger Stadium roaring in the Louisiana night, Trask pulled himself up from the turf, trudged to the sideline and slammed his helmet to the ground. The Gators were so close to another signature win, yet in the end, they left beaten and bruised.
"We've got to put it behind us quick,'' senior receiver Van Jefferson said. "Don't let this one loss defeat us."
For starters, the Gators (6-1, 3-1) have ample reasons to be optimistic despite their first loss of the season, snapping a 10-game win streak. A week after a heart-pounding home win over then-No. 7 Auburn, Florida proved it belongs among the nation's best.
They had plenty of doubters based on the pregame hype.
"We did a lot of good things this game,'' Trask said. "We showed a lot of toughness to come into an environment like this and really, I think we communicated well. We didn't let the environment impact us negatively at all."
The Gators not only hung with the high-powered Tigers, they led 28-21 early in the third quarter when Trask connected with Jefferson on a 2-yard scoring pass. At that point, it appeared the team with the ball last would win. They traded scores in remarkably different fashion.
LSU did it with crisp drives and big plays, averaging a whopping 10.6 yards per play. Florida used creative play-calling by mixing Trask (23 of 39, career-high 310 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) and backup quarterback Emory Jones (36 yards rushing) into the game plan and extending drives. All four of its scoring drives covered 75 yards.
One of the Gators' mottos is "Don't Flinch." They never did, though they did commit the game's only turnover and it proved crucial. After LSU stormed back to regain the lead 35-28, Trask dropped back on third-and-1 from LSU's 16.
Looking to hit Freddie Swain with a back-shoulder throw, Trask's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Derek Stingley. Florida's 12-play, 76-yard drive came up empty and four plays later, Burrow hit Ja'Marr Chase for a 54-yard touchdown that essentially sealed the victory with 5:43 remaining.
"I thought we did a pretty good job executing. He was trying to make a play,'' Gators coach Dan Mullen said. "I thought Emory did a really good job. Both of those guys. I don't have a whole lot to complain with their performance. We didn't do the things we needed to do at the end to win."
Once the Gators dissect film and start to correct what transpired Saturday, most of the focus will be on defense – and the trainer's room.
Burrow finished 21 of 24 for 293 yards and three scores, tailback Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 134 yards on just 13 carries (10.3 per rush), and both Justin Jefferson (10 for 123) and Chase (7 for 127) ran free all night against the Gators' secondary.
Of course, adding to their woes was the absence of senior lineman Jonathan Greenard, who started but played sparingly in the first half and watched the second half from the sideline after re-aggravating an ankle injury he suffered against Auburn. Meanwhile, defensive end Jabari Zuniga returned after missing three games with an ankle injury but did not appear to be at 100 percent.
Minus their most formidable pass rushers, Barrow stood in the pocket and shredded the defense.
"I thought that was a big factor,'' Mullen said.
LSU finished with 511 total yards on just 48 plays. The Gators didn't force a turnover or register a sack after entering the game leading the nation in takeaways (19) and third in sacks (26).
Afterward, as boisterous LSU fans exited outside their locker room, the Gators turned to the future amidst the gloom of defeat. Considering Georgia's loss at home to South Carolina on Saturday, the SEC East is wide open and Florida's quest for its first division title since 2016 remains top priority.
"This is kind of like a freebie,'' center Nick Buchanan said. "You lose one game and everything's still sitting in front of you. But you lose two games, and then you start having questions and all that stuff about where you want to be at the end of the year. We can't let this one game affect us and get us down. We've got to know that there's a sense of urgency to make sure that we get everything right from here on out."
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham should have no trouble getting his unit's attention. The Gators had limited opponents to 9.5 points and 276.3 yards per game prior to Saturday's meltdown. They had allowed just 17 second-half points all season.
Those numbers got crushed.
"We definitely need to put our head down and grind and make sure this doesn't happen again," cornerback Marco Wilson said.
They will start Sunday when they report for meetings. The recharged Gamecocks are next on the schedule.
As the postgame handshakes wrapped up Saturday, Gators tailback Lamical Perine shared an exchange with Burrow. They hope to meet again in Atlanta. For that to happen, the Gators must move past LSU and fast. They insist that won't be an issue.
"We're still hungry,'' Jefferson said.
What a game. What a game. What a night.
It was that and more, starting with 968 yards of total offense.
For casual fans watching on TV, fifth-ranked LSU's 42-28 victory over No. 7 Florida provided high-quality entertainment Saturday night. For the majority of fans among the sellout crowd of more than 102,000, they headed for the exits ready to hand LSU quarterback Joe Burrow the Heisman Trophy. As for those in orange and blue, disappointment set in as soon as Gators quarterback Kyle Trask was dropped for a loss on UF's final play with 49 seconds remaining.
With Tiger Stadium roaring in the Louisiana night, Trask pulled himself up from the turf, trudged to the sideline and slammed his helmet to the ground. The Gators were so close to another signature win, yet in the end, they left beaten and bruised.
"We've got to put it behind us quick,'' senior receiver Van Jefferson said. "Don't let this one loss defeat us."
For starters, the Gators (6-1, 3-1) have ample reasons to be optimistic despite their first loss of the season, snapping a 10-game win streak. A week after a heart-pounding home win over then-No. 7 Auburn, Florida proved it belongs among the nation's best.
They had plenty of doubters based on the pregame hype.
"We did a lot of good things this game,'' Trask said. "We showed a lot of toughness to come into an environment like this and really, I think we communicated well. We didn't let the environment impact us negatively at all."
The Gators not only hung with the high-powered Tigers, they led 28-21 early in the third quarter when Trask connected with Jefferson on a 2-yard scoring pass. At that point, it appeared the team with the ball last would win. They traded scores in remarkably different fashion.
LSU did it with crisp drives and big plays, averaging a whopping 10.6 yards per play. Florida used creative play-calling by mixing Trask (23 of 39, career-high 310 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) and backup quarterback Emory Jones (36 yards rushing) into the game plan and extending drives. All four of its scoring drives covered 75 yards.
One of the Gators' mottos is "Don't Flinch." They never did, though they did commit the game's only turnover and it proved crucial. After LSU stormed back to regain the lead 35-28, Trask dropped back on third-and-1 from LSU's 16.
Looking to hit Freddie Swain with a back-shoulder throw, Trask's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Derek Stingley. Florida's 12-play, 76-yard drive came up empty and four plays later, Burrow hit Ja'Marr Chase for a 54-yard touchdown that essentially sealed the victory with 5:43 remaining.
"I thought we did a pretty good job executing. He was trying to make a play,'' Gators coach Dan Mullen said. "I thought Emory did a really good job. Both of those guys. I don't have a whole lot to complain with their performance. We didn't do the things we needed to do at the end to win."
Once the Gators dissect film and start to correct what transpired Saturday, most of the focus will be on defense – and the trainer's room.
Burrow finished 21 of 24 for 293 yards and three scores, tailback Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 134 yards on just 13 carries (10.3 per rush), and both Justin Jefferson (10 for 123) and Chase (7 for 127) ran free all night against the Gators' secondary.
Of course, adding to their woes was the absence of senior lineman Jonathan Greenard, who started but played sparingly in the first half and watched the second half from the sideline after re-aggravating an ankle injury he suffered against Auburn. Meanwhile, defensive end Jabari Zuniga returned after missing three games with an ankle injury but did not appear to be at 100 percent.
Minus their most formidable pass rushers, Barrow stood in the pocket and shredded the defense.
"I thought that was a big factor,'' Mullen said.
LSU finished with 511 total yards on just 48 plays. The Gators didn't force a turnover or register a sack after entering the game leading the nation in takeaways (19) and third in sacks (26).
Afterward, as boisterous LSU fans exited outside their locker room, the Gators turned to the future amidst the gloom of defeat. Considering Georgia's loss at home to South Carolina on Saturday, the SEC East is wide open and Florida's quest for its first division title since 2016 remains top priority.
"This is kind of like a freebie,'' center Nick Buchanan said. "You lose one game and everything's still sitting in front of you. But you lose two games, and then you start having questions and all that stuff about where you want to be at the end of the year. We can't let this one game affect us and get us down. We've got to know that there's a sense of urgency to make sure that we get everything right from here on out."
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham should have no trouble getting his unit's attention. The Gators had limited opponents to 9.5 points and 276.3 yards per game prior to Saturday's meltdown. They had allowed just 17 second-half points all season.
Those numbers got crushed.
"We definitely need to put our head down and grind and make sure this doesn't happen again," cornerback Marco Wilson said.
They will start Sunday when they report for meetings. The recharged Gamecocks are next on the schedule.
As the postgame handshakes wrapped up Saturday, Gators tailback Lamical Perine shared an exchange with Burrow. They hope to meet again in Atlanta. For that to happen, the Gators must move past LSU and fast. They insist that won't be an issue.
"We're still hungry,'' Jefferson said.
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