Graphic: Scott MacCord/UAA Communications
The Quick Slant: LSU 37, Florida 34
Saturday, December 12, 2020 | Football
THE QUICK SLANT
LSU 37, No. 6 FLORIDA 34
WHAT HAPPENED: Incredible efforts from redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Trask and senior Kadarius Toney were not enough on Saturday night for the Gators, who fell at Spurrier/Florida Field for the first time in their last 13 home games.
After Florida's first drive of the game stalled deep in LSU (4-5) territory and ended on downs at the 1-yard line, a 24-yard scamper by redshirt junior running back Malik Davis put the Gators back inside the LSU 10-yard line. Trask lumbered into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run and put the Gators ahead, 7-0. LSU promptly responded with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of its own and tied the game. The Tigers took the lead two possessions later, as Trask threw his first interception in his last 181 attempts and LSU's Eli Ricks returned it 68 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead. It looked as though Florida would quickly even the score, with Trask hitting senior receiver Trevon Grimes for a 50-yard strike at the LSU 15. The ensuing play resulted in an unbelievably bizarre interception, as a wild pass from Trask along the sideline deflected off Toney's hand, an LSU defender's helmet, and into the hands of LSU's Jay Ward, who was on both knees along the sideline. Florida's defense forced a three-and-out, but the offense once again stalled in the red zone and settled for a 23-yard field goal by junior kicker Evan McPherson, making it 14-10.
After forcing another three-and-out, Florida took the lead and went 66 yards – with 22 coming on a dazzling 22-yard catch and run by Toney – in less than three minutes to take a 17-14 lead on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Trask to redshirt sophomore receiver Jacob Copeland. LSU retook the lead just before halftime after a busted coverage resulted in a wide-open Kayshon Boutte and a 34-yard touchdown. As the Gators took over with 33 seconds left and tried for a late score, Trask was sacked and stripped. The turnover set up a 39-yard field goal by LSU, which put the Gators in a 24-17 hole. LSU added another field goal after taking its opening drive of the second half down to Florida's 1, only to see a holding penalty knock it off the goal line.
The Gators book-ended an LSU three-and-out with a pair of touchdown drives. Trask set the first up with a 49-yard strike to Toney, then dove over the line and into the end zone for his second rushing score. The second touchdown drive saw Trask hit Copeland for 40 yards, Davis for 20, and then Toney on a screen pass from nine yards out which produced the quarterback's 40th passing touchdown of the season, breaking a 24-year-old school record.
A nine-play, 84-yard touchdown drive put LSU back in front, 34-31, early in the fourth quarter, after which Florida's offense punted after three plays on consecutive possessions.
As the fog thickened, Florida's offense found life and drove inside the LSU 10-yard line, but lost ground on an intentional grounding penalty. Florida settled for a game-tying field goal from McPherson. And after a key third down stop on LSU's ensuing drive, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the Tigers new life and set up Cade York's eventual game-winning field goal from 57 yards out. Taking over at his own 25-yard line with 23 seconds left, Trask connected with Grimes for 15 yards, then hit Toney for gains of 18 and nine yards to set McPherson up for a game-tying field goal attempt from 51 yards out. The kick sailed just left of the upright.
Trask finished with 474 passing yards, matching his career-high total from the win over Georgia, which ranks second on the school's single-game record list. Florida finished with 609 total yards, its second-highest total of the season, but surrendered 418 yards to the Tigers.
WHAT IT MEANS: Florida was already assured itself a spot in the SEC Championship Game with its victory at Tennessee last Saturday, but the Gators' College Football Playoff hopes took a devastating blow, as a loss to an undermanned 4-5 LSU team will be impossible for the committee to overlook.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Toney blew away the career-high 108 receiving yards he had at Tennessee last week with nine catches for 182 yards (both career highs) and a touchdown. The senior also ran for 56 yards on three carries and had an 11-yard punt return to give him 249 all-purpose yards.
Toney's 182 yards were five shy of the No. 10 spot on Florida's single-game record list, which is currently occupied by Wes Chandler (187 against North Carolina in 1976).
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Trask breaking Danny Wuerffel's school record for passing touchdowns in a season isn't astonishing because of the fact he actually broke the record. The way offenses are trending nationally, given how there are anywhere from 13, 14, or even 15 games in a season, and the fact postseason stats count toward records made it a matter of time before someone eclipsed Wuerffel's fabled record.
Trask's breaking of the record is extraordinary because of the fact he only needed 10 games to do it. Even Wuerffel needed 12 to set the record of 39 back in 1996.
There are only four quarterbacks in SEC history to throw 40 touchdown passes in a season, and all of them needed at least 13 games to reach their totals of 60 (Joe Burrow for LSU last year), 44 (Drew Lock for Missouri in 2017), 43 (Tua Tagovailoa for Alabama in 2018), and 40 (Andre Woodson for Kentucky in 2007), respectively.
Even counting Wuerffel's three touchdowns from the 1997 Sugar Bowl rout of Florida State (bowl statistics were not counted in season records until 2002), Trask is still on his way to the most remarkable passing season in program history.
UP NEXT: The Gators will face top-ranked Alabama in their 13th SEC Championship Game appearance (tied with their upcoming opponent for the most in league history). Kickoff in Atlanta is set for 8 p.m., with CBS providing live television coverage.
LSU 37, No. 6 FLORIDA 34
WHAT HAPPENED: Incredible efforts from redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Trask and senior Kadarius Toney were not enough on Saturday night for the Gators, who fell at Spurrier/Florida Field for the first time in their last 13 home games.
After Florida's first drive of the game stalled deep in LSU (4-5) territory and ended on downs at the 1-yard line, a 24-yard scamper by redshirt junior running back Malik Davis put the Gators back inside the LSU 10-yard line. Trask lumbered into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run and put the Gators ahead, 7-0. LSU promptly responded with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of its own and tied the game. The Tigers took the lead two possessions later, as Trask threw his first interception in his last 181 attempts and LSU's Eli Ricks returned it 68 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead. It looked as though Florida would quickly even the score, with Trask hitting senior receiver Trevon Grimes for a 50-yard strike at the LSU 15. The ensuing play resulted in an unbelievably bizarre interception, as a wild pass from Trask along the sideline deflected off Toney's hand, an LSU defender's helmet, and into the hands of LSU's Jay Ward, who was on both knees along the sideline. Florida's defense forced a three-and-out, but the offense once again stalled in the red zone and settled for a 23-yard field goal by junior kicker Evan McPherson, making it 14-10.
After forcing another three-and-out, Florida took the lead and went 66 yards – with 22 coming on a dazzling 22-yard catch and run by Toney – in less than three minutes to take a 17-14 lead on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Trask to redshirt sophomore receiver Jacob Copeland. LSU retook the lead just before halftime after a busted coverage resulted in a wide-open Kayshon Boutte and a 34-yard touchdown. As the Gators took over with 33 seconds left and tried for a late score, Trask was sacked and stripped. The turnover set up a 39-yard field goal by LSU, which put the Gators in a 24-17 hole. LSU added another field goal after taking its opening drive of the second half down to Florida's 1, only to see a holding penalty knock it off the goal line.
The Gators book-ended an LSU three-and-out with a pair of touchdown drives. Trask set the first up with a 49-yard strike to Toney, then dove over the line and into the end zone for his second rushing score. The second touchdown drive saw Trask hit Copeland for 40 yards, Davis for 20, and then Toney on a screen pass from nine yards out which produced the quarterback's 40th passing touchdown of the season, breaking a 24-year-old school record.
A nine-play, 84-yard touchdown drive put LSU back in front, 34-31, early in the fourth quarter, after which Florida's offense punted after three plays on consecutive possessions.
As the fog thickened, Florida's offense found life and drove inside the LSU 10-yard line, but lost ground on an intentional grounding penalty. Florida settled for a game-tying field goal from McPherson. And after a key third down stop on LSU's ensuing drive, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the Tigers new life and set up Cade York's eventual game-winning field goal from 57 yards out. Taking over at his own 25-yard line with 23 seconds left, Trask connected with Grimes for 15 yards, then hit Toney for gains of 18 and nine yards to set McPherson up for a game-tying field goal attempt from 51 yards out. The kick sailed just left of the upright.
Trask finished with 474 passing yards, matching his career-high total from the win over Georgia, which ranks second on the school's single-game record list. Florida finished with 609 total yards, its second-highest total of the season, but surrendered 418 yards to the Tigers.
WHAT IT MEANS: Florida was already assured itself a spot in the SEC Championship Game with its victory at Tennessee last Saturday, but the Gators' College Football Playoff hopes took a devastating blow, as a loss to an undermanned 4-5 LSU team will be impossible for the committee to overlook.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Toney blew away the career-high 108 receiving yards he had at Tennessee last week with nine catches for 182 yards (both career highs) and a touchdown. The senior also ran for 56 yards on three carries and had an 11-yard punt return to give him 249 all-purpose yards.
Toney's 182 yards were five shy of the No. 10 spot on Florida's single-game record list, which is currently occupied by Wes Chandler (187 against North Carolina in 1976).
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Trask breaking Danny Wuerffel's school record for passing touchdowns in a season isn't astonishing because of the fact he actually broke the record. The way offenses are trending nationally, given how there are anywhere from 13, 14, or even 15 games in a season, and the fact postseason stats count toward records made it a matter of time before someone eclipsed Wuerffel's fabled record.
Trask's breaking of the record is extraordinary because of the fact he only needed 10 games to do it. Even Wuerffel needed 12 to set the record of 39 back in 1996.
There are only four quarterbacks in SEC history to throw 40 touchdown passes in a season, and all of them needed at least 13 games to reach their totals of 60 (Joe Burrow for LSU last year), 44 (Drew Lock for Missouri in 2017), 43 (Tua Tagovailoa for Alabama in 2018), and 40 (Andre Woodson for Kentucky in 2007), respectively.
Even counting Wuerffel's three touchdowns from the 1997 Sugar Bowl rout of Florida State (bowl statistics were not counted in season records until 2002), Trask is still on his way to the most remarkable passing season in program history.
UP NEXT: The Gators will face top-ranked Alabama in their 13th SEC Championship Game appearance (tied with their upcoming opponent for the most in league history). Kickoff in Atlanta is set for 8 p.m., with CBS providing live television coverage.
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