Gators chomp Tigers, Vanderbilt upended by MSU
SEC Notebook
Jimmy Carter
Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: Sports
The No. 11 Florida Gators dominated all phases of the game and turned in a resounding 51-21 victory over No. 4 LSU at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The win propelled the Gators (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) back into national title contention on a day that saw three top-five teams, including the Tigers (4-1, 2-1), lose.
Less than two minutes into the game Gators receiver Percy Harvin caught a tipped pass from quarterback Tim Tebow and turned it into a 70-yard touchdown giving the Gators an early 7-0 lead.
"I think that our team had the most well-rounded performance of the season," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "We were able to jump out to an early start against a great team with great football players. They're the reigning national champions."
After forcing an LSU punt, the Gators drove 77 yards in 11 plays and kicker Jonathan Phillips converted a 20-yard field goal to put Florida up 10-0 midway through the first quarter.
The LSU offense again went three plays and out, and Florida's Brandon James returned the Tigers' punt 40 yards to the LSU 41-yard line, setting up the Gators with excellent field position.
Seven plays later Tebow again found Harvin, this time from seven yards out to push the Florida lead to 17-0 with 1:09 left in the first quarter.
Phillips added a 34-yard field goal to extend the lead to 20-0 with less than a minute to play before halftime, but Tigers quarterback Jarrett Lee went 5-of-6 for 50 yards and LSU used a 15-yard hook-and-ladder play to set up Lee's 6-yard scoring toss to receiver Chris Mitchell. The touchdown pass cut the Gator lead to 20-7.
LSU managed to cut further into the deficit, as backup quarterback Andrew Hatch scored on a three-yard run to make it 20-14 with 8:41 left in the third quarter.
Florida's ensuing drive featured a heavy dose of Tebow, as the Heisman winner completed 2-of-2 passes for 41 yards and ran four times for 19 more yards, including the two-yard scramble that capped the eight-play 67-yard drive.
The win propelled the Gators (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) back into national title contention on a day that saw three top-five teams, including the Tigers (4-1, 2-1), lose.
Less than two minutes into the game Gators receiver Percy Harvin caught a tipped pass from quarterback Tim Tebow and turned it into a 70-yard touchdown giving the Gators an early 7-0 lead.
"I think that our team had the most well-rounded performance of the season," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "We were able to jump out to an early start against a great team with great football players. They're the reigning national champions."
After forcing an LSU punt, the Gators drove 77 yards in 11 plays and kicker Jonathan Phillips converted a 20-yard field goal to put Florida up 10-0 midway through the first quarter.
The LSU offense again went three plays and out, and Florida's Brandon James returned the Tigers' punt 40 yards to the LSU 41-yard line, setting up the Gators with excellent field position.
Seven plays later Tebow again found Harvin, this time from seven yards out to push the Florida lead to 17-0 with 1:09 left in the first quarter.
Phillips added a 34-yard field goal to extend the lead to 20-0 with less than a minute to play before halftime, but Tigers quarterback Jarrett Lee went 5-of-6 for 50 yards and LSU used a 15-yard hook-and-ladder play to set up Lee's 6-yard scoring toss to receiver Chris Mitchell. The touchdown pass cut the Gator lead to 20-7.
LSU managed to cut further into the deficit, as backup quarterback Andrew Hatch scored on a three-yard run to make it 20-14 with 8:41 left in the third quarter.
Florida's ensuing drive featured a heavy dose of Tebow, as the Heisman winner completed 2-of-2 passes for 41 yards and ran four times for 19 more yards, including the two-yard scramble that capped the eight-play 67-yard drive.
Be the first to comment on this story