GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- LSU placekicker Colby Delahoussaye made a career-long 50-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to give LSU a thrilling 30-27 victory over Florida on Saturday night in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
LSU (5-2, 1-2 SEC) gave head coach Les Miles his 100th victory in a thilling, back-and-forth, nail-biting, twist-of-fate and drained-of-emotion fashion that has defined his 10-year tenure at the "Ole War Skule."
With Florida (3-2, 2-2 SEC) driving for a would-be game-winning field goal attempt with less than a minute to play, LSU's Kwon Alexander and Rickey Jefferson collided with a Gators receiver, causing the ball to deflect off the receiver's helmet and into the air before landing the Jefferson's hands. An alert Jefferson ran 23-yards to the Florida 36, where LSU would be in position for its own game-winning try.
But, not before a little more Miles-inspired drama.
With only 24 seconds remaining, LSU elected to run the ball with no timeouts. Florida piled on to allow the clock to run down to three seconds before the officials blew the play dead and set the clock to 10 seconds. A half-handed spike by quarterback Anthony Jennings "clocked it" with eight seconds remaining.
Delahoussaye and the field goal team did the rest, with the sophomore from New Iberia drilling a career effort through the north goal posts to give LSU its first SEC win of the season.
Prior to the drama - and the above was the tip of the white-hatted iceberg - LSU running back Leonard Fournette had a career night with 140 yards on the ground and 225 all-purpose. He ran 27 times and scored twice. Terrence Magee added 50 yards on only six carries.
Jennings started for LSU and managed the game well, completing 10-of-21 passes for 110 yards including a 41-yard pass to Travin Dural late in the fourth quarter that helped the Tigers take a 27-24 lead with 2:40 remaining.
Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel was the central figure of the Gators offense that narrowly outgained LSU, 306-305. He was 14-of-25 passing for 183 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown, and added a team-high 21 carries for 71 yards including a 9-yard touchdown run.
However, it was punt returner Andre Dubose who changed the game for the Gators with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown that opened the scoring and a 53-yarder that setup an 11-yard go-ahead touchdown for Florida with 6:10 remaining in the game. Dubuse also had a 35-yard jet sweep that setup Driskel's rushing touchdown in the first quarter.
Demarcus Robinson led Florida with five catches for 104 yards, with a 73-yarder setting up Florida's game-tying field goal with 51-seconds to play. Brandon Powell had a game-high six catches for 66 yards.
Blow-by-Blow Recap
LSU won the coin toss for the first time in eight tries, and the Tigers elected to defer its decision until the second half and kickoff to Florida.
After a 19-yard return out of his endzone by Dubose, Driskel gave Florida a first down with a 4-yard run up the middle. However, a pass was dropped and another fell well short of his intended receiver to force a punt. Kyle Christy's 62-yard effort sailed into the endzone and LSU took over for the first time at its 20.
A pair of Fournette runs gained four yards for the Tigers, and Jennings picked up a third-down conversion with an 8-yard pass to wide receiver Trey Quinn to the LSU 32. Following a 5-yard run by Magee on first down, a personal foul sent the Tigers' drive into a tailspin and led to a punt on fourth-and-32 from the LSU 10. Jamie Keehn's 52 yard punt was returned 62 yards along the left sideline for a touchdown. Florida's first points of the game came on the first punt return for a touchdown LSU has allowed since 2007.
Florida led 7-0 with 8:52 remaining in the first quarter.
The Tigers were unable to convert a third-and-5 pass to Dural and Keehn entered for a 46-yard punt that was fair caught by Dubose at the Gators 30.
On the first play, Driskel took a keeper to the right and was stripped of the ball by Alexander. Defensive end Jermauria Rasco caught the ball in mid-air at the Florida 32 and returned four yards to the 28.
Fournette gashed for runs of 16 and 12 yards to put the Tigers in the endzone for the first time and tie the game at 7-7. His fifth touchdown of the season and the 15th by a Tigers true freshman came with 6:21 left in the first quarter.
Florida then called on Dubose on a jet sweep for 35 yards to the LSU 40. On fourth-and-1 from the LSU 31, Driskel eluded linebacker Kendell Beckwith behind the line and ran seven yards for a key first down. Driskel did the rest to get into the endzone, finishing the 75-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run over the right end.
Florida led 14-7 with 2:32 remaining in the opening quarter.
Jennings gave LSU a first down on third-and-3 with a 13-yard run around the right end, but a pair of incomplete passes in Dural's direction stalled the drive. A 38-yard punt by Keehn wasn't able to be returned by Dubose.
Starting from his 29, Driskel lofted a perject pass for 21 yards to wide receiver Ryan Parrish to the LSU 45. A 9-yard run by Matt Jones and a keeper by Driskel moved the chains again. After LSU cornerback Jalen Collins was flagged for pass interference, LSU's defense stiffened. A strong tackle by Jefferson on third-and-7 went for a 2-yard loss to the 17. Florida placekicker Frankie Velez made a 34-yard field goal to put the Gators' advantage to 17-7 with 11:07 left in the half.
Fournette's 25-yard kickoff return started a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive that included six-straight carries by the LSU freshman running back to the Florida 1. Magee kept the drive alive with a run of 16 yards on third-and-3 and 11 to the Florida 41. Fournette added runs of 20 and 15 spinning yards to the Gators 3 and pushed LSU to the 1 on fourth down and goal. Miles took a timeout, electing to scratch a trick play at the goalline in favor of a Hilliard 1-yard touchdown run around the right end.
With his 27th rushing touchdown as a Tiger, Hilliard pulled LSU within 17-14 with 4:12 left in the half. The drive lasted 5:41.
Florida's attempt to answer ended with an interception by White on a third-and-7 pass intended for Demarcus Robinson. White's play helped the Tigers keep three three-point deficit going into halftime.
LSU then Florida punted before gaining a first down to start the second half, with LSU starting its second drive of the half at its 35. Fournette went over 100 yards rushing on a 20-yard run that started the drive, as LSU continued to pound its rushing attack with a 10-yard run by Hilliard to the Florida 23. LSU overcame a 7-yard sack when Florida's Brian Poole was flagged for holding Dural on third-and-10. On another third-and-10 from the Florida 20, Jennings fired a pass to Quinn right at the first-down marker to keep the Tigers moving. The Tigers' gained another first down via penalty when tight end Logan Stokes was interfered with on Jennings' third-and-4 pass into the endzone. On the next play, Fournette scored for the second time on a 2-yard dive over the pile and into the endzone.
With 3:42 left in the third quarter, LSU took the lead for the first time, 20-17, but Delahoussaye's PAT went wide right.
Both Florida and LSU exchanged four-straight punts, with the final one being returned 53 yards by Dubose to the LSU 9. Two plays later, Driskel connected with Robinson for an 11-yard touchdown that put Florida back in front, 24-20, with 6:10 to play.
Once again, LSU was able to answer behind Jennings. Following an 11-yard sack and facing third-and-25 from his 33, Jennings found Dural behind the Florida defense for 41 yards to the Gators 26. A face mask penalty on Florida put the ball on the 13. Two plays, later Dural made a one-handed, 11-yard touchdown catch to swing the momentum, if only briefly.
LSU led 27-24 with 2:40 remaining in the game.
After a touchback on the kickoff, Florida's Robinson got behind LSU's Rashard Robinson for a 73-yard catch to the LSU 2. LSU's hustle to stop Robinson before the goalline proved critical, as the Tigers defense came up with the improbable stop when Florida's Tevin Westbrook dropped a go-ahead touchdown on third-and-goal from the 1.
Florida tied the game at 27-27 with an 18-yard field goal with 1:49 to play.
LSU wasn't able to gain a first down on its following drive and punted to Florida 42. With 54 seconds remaining, Driskel gained a first down to the LSU 45 when Jefferson made one of the key plays of the game - a 23-yard interception return that setup the game-winning field goal.
Attendance for the game was announced as 88,014.
Tonight marked @LSUCoachMiles' 100th career win at #LSU! pic.twitter.com/A5kqAohNkM
— LSU Football (@LSUfball) October 12, 2014
