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GAINESVILLE — Florida football has never really been the same since a loss to LSU in 2020 on a fog-shrouded Senior Night at the Swamp.
Before veteran defensive Marco Wilson tossed an LSU player’s shoe during the final two minutes that ultimately cost the Gators the game, UF was 29-6 under coach Dan Mullen and in the thick of the College Football Playoff race.
The Gators are 21-28, including 0-4 against LSU, since that 37-34 loss following a last-minute 57-yard field goal by Cade York barely visible to even those on the field. Entering LSU, UF trends toward a fourth straight losing season, including three under Billy Napier.
One of the SEC best rivalries has lost some luster. The Gators (4-5, 2-3 SEC) have dropped five straight to the Tigers (6-3, 3-2), including a pair of double-digit losses in a matchup routinely decided in the fourth quarter.
The latest meeting in a series played every season since 1971 pits two teams coming off lopsided losses featuring defensive collapses.
During a 49-17 no-show at Texas, the Gators were torched by Quinn Ewers for a career-high 5 touchdown throws.
“We went to battle with a parachute on our back,” Napier said Wednesday. “As soon as it didn’t go our way, we pulled the parachute, and it was disappointing. We got to challenge the maturity of our team.”
If the Gators do not respond, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier surely will shake off his recent struggles at their expense. The son of former UF offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier is second in the SEC with an average of 318.4 yards passing and 21 touchdowns throws.
But he has just 3 scoring tosses in the past three games against 5 interceptions — 2 during a 42-13 home loss to Alabama to give him 11 in 2024.
LSU will have to contain the 1-2 punch of tailbacks Ja’Kobi Jackson and Jadan Baugh, who average a combined 164…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-lsu-matchup-loses-luster-180000393.html
Author : Orlando Sentinel
Publish date : 2024-11-15 18:00:00
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