LSU made DJ Lagway’s first trip to Baton Rouge a nightmarish experience.
The third-ranked Tigers picked off Lagway 5 times in the game. The Tigers were outgained and out-possessed. They only produced 10 first downs all game. And the offense only scored 1 touchdown. But it’s hard to lose a game when you take the football away 5 times in 60 minutes. The Gators were always close because LSU couldn’t create any distance when it had the ball, but Florida didn’t really threaten over the final 45 minutes in a 20-10 LSU win.
Florida had a 3-0 early in the first. Lagway hit Jadan Baugh for 87 yards with less than 5 to play in the opening frame, but a holding penalty erased the big-play touchdown and Florida punted.
Instead of going down 10-0, LSU drove the field to tie it at 3-3. The Tigers scored on their next possession — a 23-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Nussmeier to Zavion Thomas — to go up 10-3.
Florida tied the game on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Lagway to Aidan Mizell with 3:30 remaining in the first half, but Lagway’s second interception of the half gave LSU a gift — a 45-yard field goal — right before the break.
A 58-yard pick-6 from Dashawn Spears in the third quarter was the only score of the second half.
Spears picked off 2 Lagway passes in the game. DJ Pickett, AJ Haulcy, and Tamarcus Cooley each had their own interceptions. The 2020 Tigers were the last team to pick off an SEC passer 5 times in a single game, and the 2002 Tigers were the last team to pick off a Florida quarterback at least 4 times in a game.
LSU (3-0, 1-0 SEC) hosts Southeast Louisiana next Saturday. Florida (1-2, 0-1 SEC) travels to Miami to face the Hurricanes.
LSU 20, Florida 10
Here’s the LSU-Florida box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:
Garrett Nussmeier vs DJ Lagway
A statistical breakdown of how LSU Heisman hopeful Garrett Nussmeier compared to Florida counterpart DJ Lagway:
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
