LSU Drowns in the Swamp against the Gators

In a highly anticipated SEC matchup, the LSU Tigers traveled down to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators in the Swamp. Both of these teams came into this matchup off of two straight losses to SEC opponents in previous weeks, so this game presented an opportunity for both teams to potentially get back on track. It would be the Gators that would come out on top in this matchup, 27-16 as the Gator defense suffocated Garrett Nussmeier and this LSU offense all night long. What are the key takeaways from this game for both sides?

LSU - Brian Kelly Is Losing the Locker Room

This loss marks three straight losses for LSU after starting the season 6-1. Many college football fans have been critical of Brian Kelly and this LSU team for how they have handled adversity, and now the effects of that seem to be snowballing out of control. Last night, there were several instances of Brian Kelly yelling at players and as the game went along the team’s play only got worse. If it weren’t for Brian Kelly’s $60 million contract buy-out, he would probably be without a job today.

Florida Gators - Stay the Course

Over the past few weeks, Gator fans have been demanding that Billy Napier needed to go. However, last night’s performance went a long way toward building for the future. With DJ Lagway back on the field, the Gators expected his big season to pick up right where he left off, and he did not disappoint. Lagway threw for 226 yards and 1 TD in the win, and he didn’t take any sacks or throw any interceptions against LSU which is the more impressive aspect given his age. If DJ Lagway and the rest of this young roster can continue to develop in this system, then I’d expect the Gators to start making real strides toward getting back to national championship contention over the next few years.

Florida Gators - The Defense Has Dramatically Improved

I have complained incessantly at times about how bad the Florida Gators' defense has been in recent years, especially on third down and in clutch scenarios. However, this defense showed some real resiliency all game long against LSU. Despite LSU controlling the ball for over 40 minutes, and running over 90 plays during that time, they managed to only surrender 16 points. The most impressive part of the defense was that Florida’s pass rush sacked Nussmeier 7 times. You would think that after being on the field for so long, the Florida defense would look fatigued, but instead, it looked like the defense was getting stronger as the game went along. Hats off to the Gator defense for holding LSU to their second-lowest point total of the season, as the Gators emerge from the Swamp with their first ranked win of the season.