Gators chomp Tigers, Vanderbilt upended by MSU
SEC Notebook
Jimmy Carter
Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: Sports
"That was a classic Tim Tebow performance on that drive," Meyer said. "We had a lot of discussions in the headsets about which way we wanted to go. We usually pass on third down and it kind of gets predictable. That was a great call by Dan Mullen. That was one of the biggest drives of the game."
LSU coach Les Miles recognized the score as the turning point in the game.
"In the second half when they needed to score, they came down there," Miles said. "When we closed the game and made it a six point game, they [Florida] turned it around and got seven."
The Gators would push the score to 34-14 when freshman running back Jeffrey Demps broke a 42-yard run for a score with just over a minute left in the third quarter.
Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes put the game out of reach when he intercepted a Lee pass on the Tigers next drive and returned it 52 yards to paydirt, giving the Gators a 41-14 lead.
"We knew they wanted to come in and play physical," Gators sophomore defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh said. "They have a couple good running backs, and a strong offensive line, but our game plan was to stuff the run and we stuck with it. We focused on penetration and getting off blocks, and that disrupted their running plays."
The win put to rest any doubts about the Gators and their star quarterback, who said he realized the significance of the SEC showdown.
"It was a great win for us," Tebow said. "We knew it was a big game coming in. LSU is a very good team. We wanted to start strong and we did that. They rallied back and made it a game, but we responded with maturity and took over at the end."
Vandy loses first
Vanderbilt's undefeated season come to an abrupt end as the No. 13 Commodores (5-1, 3-1 SEC) were upset 17-14 by Mississippi State (2-4, 1-2).
The loss means the Commodores still need one victory to become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years, the longest drought in the country.
LSU coach Les Miles recognized the score as the turning point in the game.
"In the second half when they needed to score, they came down there," Miles said. "When we closed the game and made it a six point game, they [Florida] turned it around and got seven."
The Gators would push the score to 34-14 when freshman running back Jeffrey Demps broke a 42-yard run for a score with just over a minute left in the third quarter.
Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes put the game out of reach when he intercepted a Lee pass on the Tigers next drive and returned it 52 yards to paydirt, giving the Gators a 41-14 lead.
"We knew they wanted to come in and play physical," Gators sophomore defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh said. "They have a couple good running backs, and a strong offensive line, but our game plan was to stuff the run and we stuck with it. We focused on penetration and getting off blocks, and that disrupted their running plays."
The win put to rest any doubts about the Gators and their star quarterback, who said he realized the significance of the SEC showdown.
"It was a great win for us," Tebow said. "We knew it was a big game coming in. LSU is a very good team. We wanted to start strong and we did that. They rallied back and made it a game, but we responded with maturity and took over at the end."
Vandy loses first
Vanderbilt's undefeated season come to an abrupt end as the No. 13 Commodores (5-1, 3-1 SEC) were upset 17-14 by Mississippi State (2-4, 1-2).
The loss means the Commodores still need one victory to become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years, the longest drought in the country.
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