Florida Gators vs Louisiana State Tigers Box Score on Nov 19, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Nov 19, 2016

BATON ROUGE, La. -- No. 23 Florida stopped LSU running back Derrius Guice on a fourth-and-1 dive at the goal-line to preserve a wild 16-10 victory Saturday at Tiger Stadium and clinch the SEC East title.

Trailing by six, LSU (6-4) got the ball back at its 25 with 3:24 left. After receivers dropped two passes, quarterback Danny Etling found receiver D.J. Chark open on a crossing pattern for a 30-yard gain to convert a critical fourth-and-10.

That gave LSU new life at the Florida 18. Etling completed a 6-yard pass to Malachai Dupre to the Gator 7, and three consecutive runs got LSU to the Florida 1.

LSU called its final timeout with 3 seconds left. On fourth-and-gaol, Guice took the handoff and tried to leap over the middle of the Florida line, but he was hit in mid-air by defensive back Marcell Harris, who knocked the ball loose.

Although tight end Foster Moreau recovered the ball, he was short of the end zone, ending the game.

Florida improved its record to 8-2 overall and 6-2 in the SEC, putting it into the SEC Championship game on Dec. 3.

LSU trailed 16-10 when Florida kicker Eddy Pineiro kicked a 34-yard field goal with 3:24 remaining.

Pineiro also kicked 26-yard field goal earlier in the fourth quarter to give Florida a 13-10 lead with 4:37 left.

LSU had dominated statistically, but it took Florida just one play -- a 98-yard strike from Austin Appleby to Tyrie Cleveland -- to take a 10-7 lead midway through the third quarter. Cleveland was isolated against cornerback Donte Jackson but he leapt, twisted away from the attempted tackle and raced the rest of the way.

Cleveland's touchdown came immediately after LSU had driven 73 yards to the Florida 1, but had to settle for a 19-yard field goal attempt. The field goal never got off because holder Josh Growden, the LSU punter, fumbled the snap and tried a desperation pass into the end zone that fell incomplete.

LSU took a 7-3 lead into halftime, but it wasn't pretty. The Tigers could have opened up a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter but Guice fumbled on first-and-goal from the Gator 7, linebacker Caleb Brantley stripped the ball from Guice, and linebacker Kylan Johnson recovered at the Florida 12.

LSU went 80 yards on 12 plays on its opening drive and took a 7-0 lead on Guice's 1-yard run. Guice accounted for 50 yards on the drive, with 29 coming on a well-executed screen pass.

Florida cut the lead to 7-3 on Pineiro's 36-yard field goal, but after starting the game with two, 10-play drives, they had only one field goal to show for it.

Leonard Fournette gained 29 yards on seven first-half carries, but it was apparent he could not cut well or accelerate on his gimpy left ankle.

NOTES: The hard feelings before the game about the original postponement from Oct. 8 seemed to bubble over onto the field even in pre-game warm-ups. LSU RB Leonard Fournette, decked out in sweats and apparently not slated to play because of a bad ankle, got into a shoving match with Florida defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. When LSU emerged for the kickoff, Fournette was in full gear. ... Asked if there is a timetable for naming a new head coach, LSU AD Joe Alleva said "I'm more concerned with getting it right." ... LSU LB Kendall Beckwith left with a left knee injury late in the first quarter.