LSU Suffers First Setback, Falls To Florida

The LSU Tigers dropped their first game of the 2018 college football season on Saturday.

5th-ranked LSU fell to the 22nd-ranked Florida Gators, 27-19, in an SEC contest in Gainesville, Florida, putting an end to the Tigers' season-opening 5-game win streak.

LSU got on the scoreboard first, taking the opening kickoff and marching 75 yards on 10 plays, a drive which was capped-off by a Nick Brossette 4-yard touchdown run, to give them a quick 7-0 lead at the 11:43 mark of the first quarter.

Florida scored their first points at the 12:30 mark of the second quarter, when Lamical Perine scored on a 1-yard plunge, completing a 9-play, 43-yard drive, to tie the game, 7-7.

The Tigers regained the advantage at the 3:10 mark of the second quarter, when Cole Tracy made good on a 33-yard field goal, concluding a 10-play, 53-yard drive, to make it 10-7.

The Gators scored on their next possession however, when Feleipe Franks connected with Moral Stephens on a 3-yard touchdown pass, putting an end to a 7-play, 75-yard drive, giving the home team their first lead of the game, 14-10, at the 1:09 mark of the second quarter.

That score would hold up as the two teams went into their respective locker rooms at halftime.

The score stayed that way until the 4:16 mark of the third quarter, when Tracy converted his second field goal of the afternoon for LSU, this one from 42 yards away, to trim the deficit to 14-13.

The Tigers wrestled away the lead at the 11:14 mark of the fourth quarter, when Brossette scored his second rushing touchdown of the game, this one on a 1-yard plunge, capping off a 4-play, 80-yard drive.

After a failed two-point conversion, LSU was clinging to a 19-14 lead.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, those would be the last points they would score.

Florida grabbed the lead right back on their very next possession, when Perine ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out, ending a 9-play, 75-yard drive, giving them a 20-19 lead with 8:48 remaining.

The Gators scored the final points of the game with 1:45 to go, when Brad Stewart, Jr. intercepted an errant pass, before racing it back 25 yards for a touchdown, to make it 27-19.

LSU had one final chance, but the Florida defense forced another interception, as the Gators held on for the 8-point win.

Florida outgained LSU, in terms of total yards, 391-371, including a 215-180 edge on the ground, while the Tigers finished with a 191-176 passing yards advantage.

Leading the way for the Gators was Perine, who rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.

In a losing cause for the Tigers, Brossettes rushed for 95 yards and two scores on 15 attempts.

View the game box score.

With the victory, Florida improved to 5-1, overall, and 3-1 in SEC play, while LSU fell to 5-1, and 2-1, respectively.

LSU returns to action next Saturday, when they host the Georgia Bulldogs at 2:30 pm at Tiger Stadium.