The Florida Gators (5-4, 3-3 SEC) battle the LSU Tigers (6-3, 4-2 SEC) at Tiger Stadium Saturday. Follow along here for live updates. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m.
FINAL: Louisiana State 52, Florida 35
NOTE: The Tigers' 702 yards of offense are the most Florida has allowed in a single game in program history. Jayden Daniels had a Heisman Trophy-esque night and accounted for five touchdowns and nearly 600 yards of scrimmage against the Gators.
Q4 | 0:28 - Florida falls short on fourth down near the end zone and a knee-down from Jayden Daniels will end it.
Q4 | 0:44 - The Gators are in the red zone after several short-yard completions for Graham Mertz.
Kickoff: Gators start their next and final drive at the 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q4 | 2:25 - Brian Thomas gets his second touchdown of the night and that's all she wrote in Baton Rouge. Tigers lead 52-35.
Q4 | 4:43 - Josh Williams runs it into the red zone, and that'll probably put an end to this game. If LSU scores here, it's all but over.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS: Q4 | 7:10 - Florida is forced to go for it on fourth down after Etienne falls short of the line to gain. The Gators are unable to convert after Eugene Wilson drops a would've-been first down catch and LSU takes over at the UF 49-yard line.
Kickoff: Ramos' kick lands into the end zone and a penalty adds five yards to the start of Florida's next drive. The Gators start at the 30-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q4 | 9:14 - Jayden Daniels finds Brian Thomas at the back of the end zone for a 37-yard touch down score. It took three plays and 73 seconds for the Tigers to get six. LSU 45, UF 35.
Kickoff: Trey Smack's kick lands into the end zone, and the Tigers begin their next drive on their own 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q4 | 10:27 - Trevor Etienne is playing like a mad-man. He punches it into the end zone for the third time of the game and has nearly 100 yards on the ground after that 5-yard score. LSU 38, UF 35
Q4 | 13:28 - Montrell Johnson Jr. picks up the first down for Florida on third down in a mid-yardage scenario.
END OF THE THIRD QUARTER: LSU 38, UF 28
NOTE: It was a quarter of highs and lows for both teams. Florida gained its first lead of the game after an LSU returner muffed a kickoff, however, Jayden Daniels came back with two scores of his own on consecutive drives to regain the lead for the Tigers.
Kickoff: Florida begins its drive at the 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q3 | 2:18 - Jayden Daniels gets his third touchdown of the day and connects with Noah Cain for six. The Tigers are opening up the game late and now have a two-score lead. LSU 28, UF 28
Q3 | 3:41 - Jayden Daniels does it all. He connects with Brian Thomas way down field for a 52 yard gain and LSU is 10 yards out from its own end zone.
Q3 | 4:35 - Kahleil Jackson makes a miraculous diving catch at the LSU 41-yard line for a first down. However, after an extensive review, the pass is ruled incomplete.
Kickoff: Ramos kicks the ball into the end zone and the Gators begin their next drive at the 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q3 | 6:09 - Jayden Daniels takes matters into his own hands and runs 51 yards downfield and gingerly walks into the end zone for six. He's up to 220 yards and two touchdowns on the ground on just 11 carries. LSU 31, UF 28.
SCORING PLAY: Q3 | 7:16 - Graham Mertz keeps the ball for himself and takes it into the end zone for six. Florida gets its first lead of the game after a huge swing in the third quarter. UF 28-24.
Q3 | 8:03 - The Gators get a fresh set of downs after three productive gains by Montrell Johnson Jr. They're less than five yards out from the end zone.
TURNOVER: Q3 | 9:32 - LSU's return man muffs the kickoff and Florida recovers the ball at the 23-yard line. The Gators start their next drive just outside the red zone.
SCORING PLAY: Q3 | 9:40 - Trevor Etienne punches it into the endzone from 21 yards out for his second score of the game. Smack's PAT is good. LSU 24, UF 21.
Q3 | 10:21 - Graham Mertz is finally able to find a receiver downfield and connects with Ricky Pearsall on a 33-yard catch on the first play of the drive. The Gators are past midfield at the 42-yard line.
Kickoff: Tigers kicker Damian Ramos boots the kickoff past the end zone and Florida will begin its next drive at the 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q3 | 11:05 - The Tigers finally capitalize in the red zone and running back Kaleb Jackson punches it five yards into the end zone for six. LSU leads 24-14.
Q3 | 12:32 - Jayden Daniel continues to create life with his legs and runs the ball 27 yards to the opposite side of the field.
Q3 | 13:44 - The Gators fall short of the line to gain on third down and are forced to punt the ball on their own 27-yard line. Jeremy Crawshaw boots the ball all the way back to the 17-yard line.
Kickoff: Florida will begin its first drive of the second half at the 23-yard line after a short return by Trevor Etienne.
HALFTIME: LSU 17, UF 14
NOTE: It felt like this would be a shoot out early on after touchdowns on opening drives by both teams, but three consecutive turnovers kept the game close. Veteran receivers Ricky Pearsall and Malik Nabers lead each of their teams in receiving yards at the half.
Q2 | 0:37 - Florida finishes short of the line to gain after a 4-yard run by Trevor Etienne which will run out the clock.
Q2 | 2:11 - Ricky Pearsall calls for a fair catch at the 10-yard line. Florida will begin its final drive of the first half with its backs at its own end zone.
Q2 | 2:23 - Florida's defense comes up strong on third down and forces an incompletion by Jayden Daniels. LSU will decide to punt with just over two minutes left in the first half.
Kickoff: Trey Smack's kickoff lands at the back of the end zone, and LSU will begin the next drive at its own 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q2 | 4:30 - Trevor Etienne punches it seven yards out into the end zone for Florida's second score of the game, which makes this a three-point contest. LSU 17, UF 14.
Q2 | 4:43 - Gators quarterback Graham Mertz sets a new Florida franchise record with 204 pass attempts without an interception. He passed Tim Tebow's streak of 203, which stood from 2007-2008.
Q2 | 6:34 - LSU safety Andre Sam is indeed called for a targeting penalty, and the Gators will add an additional 15 yards on top of the 18-yard grab by Montrell Johnson. Florida is at the LSU 41-yard line.
Q2 | 6:34 - The Gators earn a crucial fresh set of downs after Montrell Johnson Jr. and Graham Mertz connect on a 18-yard gain. The play is under review for a targeting call against an LSU defender.
SCORING PLAY: Q2 | 8:21 - Jayden Daniels propels himself down the sideline and outruns numerous Florida defenders for an 85-yard touchdown run. LSU earns a two-score lead. Tigers 17, UF 7
SCORING PLAY: Q2 | 11:52 - The Tigers are forced to settle for a field goal after driving the ball all the way down to the 10-yard line. LSU leads 10-7.
Q2 | 14:38 - Gators QB Graham Mertz tries to scramble for the first down on third-and-18 but ends 10 yards shy of the first. Florida punter Jeremy Crawshaw punts the ball, and LSU will begin its next drive at the 10-yard line.
END OF THE FIRST QUARTER: Florida 7, LSU 7
TURNOVER ON DOWNS: Q1 | 0:53 - Back-to-back sacks by the Gators defense will give them back the ball on their own 41-yard line. A huge sequence of events for Florida after turning over the ball just a few plays earlier.
TURNOVER: Q1 | 2:05 - LSU sacks Graham Mertz on third down and earns a strip sack fumble to take over 43 yards out from the end zone.
Q1 | 4:28 - The Gators make an enormous stop at the 1-yard line and stuff Williams short of the end zone. A surprising turn of events for an LSU offense that looked bound to score on their second drive of the game.
Q1 | 6:06 - An injury timeout for the Tigers. Josh Williams went down at the 5-yard line after he tried to plant his foot and change direction, causing him to instantly collapse to the ground.
Q1 | 8:25 - LSU's quick-firing offense has already passed midfield in just two plays.
Kickoff: The Tigers begin their second drive of the game at the 25-yard line after Trey Smack's kickoff lands at the back of the endzone.
SCORING PLAY: Q1 | 8:58 - Florida receiver Eugene Wilson sprints on the outside and into the endzone for the Gators' first score of the game. The extra point attempt by Trey Smack is good. The game is even at 7.
Q1 | 9:34 - The Gators in the red zone after a string of connections between Graham Mertz and Ricky Pearsall
Kickoff: Florida begins its opening drive of the game on the 25-yard line after Ramos' kick lands in the end zone.
SCORING PLAY: Q1 | 11:59 - The Tigers score on their opening drive of the game after Josh Williams punches a 1-yard run into the end zone. The extra point is good. LSU leads 7-0.
Q1 | 12:38 - LSU enters the redzone after a trio of chunk plays.
Q1 | 14:06 - LSU calls a timeout before the third play of the game. It's third-and-nine at the LSU 26-yard line.
Q1 | 15:00 - Trey Smack's kickoff lands in the end zone. The Tigers will begin their first drive on their own 25-yard line.
Kickoff: The Gators win the opening coin toss and will elect to defer to the second half. Trey Smack will man the opening kick.
Luke Adragna is a third-year journalism student and the Florida Gators football reporter at The Alligator. He is a cat ethusiast and completes the NYT Daily Mini in less than a minute each day.
