LSU 20, Florida 10; Brian Kelly knocked into during sideline scuffle as Tigers' defense forces multiple turnovers
LSU remained unbeaten at 3-0 after a second-quarter sideline collision involving coach Brian Kelly; the Tigers' defense intercepted Florida five times.
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU coach Brian Kelly was briefly knocked into on the sideline during a second-quarter tussle but remained on the sideline as the Tigers beat Florida 20-10 on Saturday, a victory keyed by a turnover-heavy defensive performance that moved LSU to 3-0.
Kelly was running down the sideline to call a timeout when LSU offensive lineman Weston Davis and Florida linebacker George Gumbs Jr., still locked together after a play, were pushing toward the boundary and knocked into the coach. Kelly appeared unhurt and stayed to watch LSU secure the win.
Quarterback Grant Nussmeier finished with 220 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Running back Caden Durham had 93 yards on 15 carries as LSU’s offense provided enough production for the Tigers to rely on a dominant defensive effort. Florida was held scoreless in the second half.
LSU’s defense forced five interceptions of Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, three of which came in the second half. Defensive back Dashawn Spears had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. A.J. Haulcy, DJ Pickett and Tamarcus Cooley each added an interception as the Tigers converted takeaways into field position that limited Florida’s scoring opportunities.
After the game, Kelly pushed back at reporters about questions regarding the offense, saying he was "tired" of what he described as unfair coverage. "These are ridiculous questions, and I'm getting tired of it. That football team just worked their tail off to get an SEC win,'" Kelly said. "And you want to know what's wrong? You're spoiled. ... This is ridiculous for a group of seasoned reporters," according to ESPN’s account of the press conference.
The Tigers maintained control of the final two quarters largely through defensive stands and by preventing Florida from establishing a consistent ground game. Florida’s offense managed a single touchdown and was unable to overcome the multiple turnovers that put the Gators behind for much of the second half.
LSU improved to 3-0 on the season, while Florida fell to 1-2. Kelly remained with the team on the sideline following the collision and participated in postgame routines, including greeting Florida coach Billy Napier. The Tigers next face nonconference and SEC opponents as they seek to build on an undefeated start, while Florida will aim to regroup after back-to-back losses.