Florida beat LSU in this rivalry’s latest demolition derby

There are some guarantees, or close to it, when Florida and LSU take each other on each year:

14-6 in 2012. 17-6 in 2013. 16-10 in 2016. 17-16 in 2017. And now 27-19 in 2018, with only that many points thanks to a late, unnecessary Florida pick six.

Football is modernizing quickly these days, with even NFL teams adopting spread principles and passing better and more frequently than ever before. But that’s for other games in other places. When the Tigers and Gators play, it’s a demolition derby.

It certainly was that way for three quarters on Saturday in a raucous Swamp in Gainesville, too. But then things got wild in the fourth quarter.

Brossette ripped off a pair of huge runs — a 31-yarder and a 47-yarder — to set up the short touchdown. After generating just 54 yards of offense in the third quarter, the Tigers topped that in the first four minutes of the fourth.

The way this game was headed, it almost felt like a game-winning score despite 11 minutes remaining on the clock.

Feleipe Franks, just 12-for-27 passing for the afternoon, hit Tyrie Cleveland for a 26-yard gain, rushed for 12 yards up the middle, then caught a 15-yard pass from tight end Lucas Krull to set up a two-yard Lamical Perine touchdown. 20-14, Gators, 8:48 left.

LSU pinned Florida at its 4 on a punt with 6:24 left. A quick three-and-out and a punt would likely give the Tigers the ball around midfield with plenty of time to work into field goal range. But Jordan Scarlett converted a third-and-1 at the UF 13, then another one at the 30. LSU had to use two timeouts, then Tommy Townsend uncorked a stunner of a 61-yard punt with a short return.

Instead of getting the ball at midfield with four or five minutes left, LSU started their do-or-die drive at its 12 with 2:21 left. And on the third play of the drive, sophomore Brad Stewart Jr. picked off a Joe Burrow pass on the sideline and took it 25 yards for a touchdown. 27-19, Florida.

Granted, Stewart could have gone out of bounds at the 5, and Florida could have run out the clock instead of giving LSU one last chance down eight points, but the Gator defense made it pretty clear that LSU was done scoring. Even after a huge fourth-and-19 pass from Burrow to Derrick Dillon, Florida only let the Tigers get as far as their own 41.

Perine and Scarlett rushed 31 times for Florida, Brossette and Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed 28 times for LSU, QBs combined to complete just 51 percent of their passes, and the offenses still combined for just 39 points. But when things opened up a bit late, Florida made its move.

LSU won five of six after beating the Gators in 2017, but Florida got blown out by FSU and Alabama after the 2016 win, LSU lost its next three conference games after winning in 2015, etc.

The Gators are in line behind Georgia and Kentucky in the SEC East race, by all means, but the Georgia game is the only one in which they are projected underdogs for the rest of the year. Win two of three against your chief rivals (LSU, Georgia, Florida State), win 10 games, and build plenty of goodwill heading into your second season.

For LSU, this stings, if only because of what’s ahead. The Tigers are projected home underdogs against Georgia and Alabama in the coming weeks and could be on the road against Texas A&M as well. The Tigers worked their way into the AP top 5 following early wins over Miami and Auburn, but they could be right back into the four-loss range for the second straight year under Ed Orgeron. LSU is obviously a strong team, but what appeared to be a statement season now appears to be more of the same.