Florida Finds Kryptonite on the Bayou, as LSU's Offense Flies to 42-28 Victory

Entering the game, LSU's offense and Florida's defense were both considered elite. Something had to give, and the Tigers did that taking.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Kryptonite. 

LSU’s offense was Florida’s defense’s kryptonite – just as many thought it would be. Joe Burrow and the Tigers showed that they are all that they were made out to be in a 42-28 besting of the Florida Gators. 

First things first, I eat my words. I questioned Joe Burrow and the LSU offense. I wasn’t a believer, but I am now. Joe Brady and Joe Burrow are not your average Joes. They are both very good at their job. Burrow’s Heisman bid is stronger than ever after a 21-for-24 performance. 

To make things even better for the Tiger’s field general, he posted as many passing touchdowns as he did incompletions. And while not to take away from LSU’s explosive offense, the Gators’ defense was no help for Florida’s case throughout the game. After dominant performances all season, Todd Grantham’s defense couldn’t calculate the answer to LSU’s offense. 

Florida lost an ever-important piece of their defense in Jonathan Greenard early in the game, and his absence would haunt the Gators throughout the evening. To make matters worse, Jabari Zuniga, who made his return to the field after missing the last couple of games, left the field in the second half with what appeared to be an injury to his left ankle – the same reason he sat last week. 

Florida’s defense, who has feasted on sacks and tackles behind the line of scrimmage, came up with zero in the former category, and only one in the latter, against LSU. Many times, Florida had penetration against the LSU offensive line, but they just couldn’t get their hands on Joe Burrow or the LSU ball carrier. 

On the back half of the field, Florida’s defensive backs looked dizzy – and in their defense, if I was lined up against that offense, my head would be spinning too. Nonetheless, allowing Burrow to complete 87.5% of his passes for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns while also allowing Ja’Maar Chase and Justin Jefferson to each eclipse 100 receiving yards is no way to stick your foot in the DBU debate door if you’re the Florida Gators. 

As for the Gators’ offense, the performance wasn’t terrible. For the better part of three quarters, the Gators went shot for shot with Burrow and the Tigers – all while chewing up nearly double the amount of possession time. Kyle Trask had another head-turning affair while tossing 310 yards and three touchdowns on a 23-for-39 outing. Van Jefferson and, to no surprise, Kyle Pitts, each had nice outings recording 73 yards and 108 yards, respectively. Jefferson hauled in two touchdown passes – one to round out the first half to tie the ball game, and Trevon Grimes nabbed his first touchdown reception of the 2019 season. 

However, the Florida offensive line was once again the deflating factor for the Gators’ offense. The guys up-front didn’t fare terribly early in the game, but started giving way to the Tigers’ defensive line as the matchup progressed. 

Perhaps the offensive line’s biggest flop came when Stone Forsythe committed a fatal holding penalty in the third quarter to gift Kyle Trask with a 1st and 20 from the Gators’ 15. That drive ended with Trask taking an eight-yard sack and Tommy Townsend booting the football from his own end zone. Four plays later, Ty Davis-Price got loose on a 33-yard touchdown rush to put the Tigers up 35-28. 

Things really started unraveling from there for the Gators. Dan Mullen, who usually calls plays like an offensive genius, made a few questionable decisions (in my uneducated eyes, of course). 

One drive went to absolute waste as Emory Jones took three snaps from the Florida 25 and earned three yards before Townsend was forced to punt it away again. Early in the fourth, the Florida offense was faced with third down and a sneeze at the LSU 16. Instead of allowing a 240 pound Kyle Trask take a shot at the sneak, Trask tossed an interception to Derek Stingley Jr. in the LSU end zone. I don’t know about you, but it gave me flashbacks of Super Bowl 49.

Nonetheless, Burrow and the LSU offense marched right down the field following the game’s sole turnover to get up 42-28 over the Gators. Heading into the game, I had a feeling that if Florida fell behind two scores to the Tigers at any point in the game, then it would be too much to recoup from. 

And it was. 

However, Florida can recoup from this loss to LSU. While the Gators’ first loss of the season undoubtedly stings, Florida still controls their own destiny. We learned that the Gators have plenty to improve on, yet that is no different for any other team in the country – especially SEC East foe, Georgia. 

But before we even look at that matchup, the Gators get to focus on getting healthy, especially defensively, and traveling to South Carolina to face off against the Gamecocks this week.