Perine chomps after scoring the Gators' first TD./CARMEN MANDATO
Saturday, 3 a.m.
It's a sandwich play. You know, a bathroom play. A let-the-cat out play. A take-a-break-from-the-game play.
Usually, you don't even think about an extra point. It's a short putt. It's a layup. It's a routine grounder to short.
It's a point-after kick. And when a team has a kicker like Eddy Piniero, well, you might take it for granted.
Until Saturday.
Until LSU.
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Franks attempted only 16 passes for the Gators./CARMEN MANDATO
Pineiro blew an extra point — after making 46 straight -- and the Gators absorbed a 17-16 loss to LSU that is sure to knock them from the top 25. It was coach Jim McElwain's first SEC loss at the Swamp, and it knocked the Gators from the top of the SEC East standings.
McElwain frustrated after a narrow defeat./CARMEN MANDATO
“It looked like the snap wasn’t great,” McElwain said. “I don’t know. I’ve got to see it on film and I didn’t see the replay of it. You don’t think that’s going to happen, and yet that’s why you practice. That’s why you play and that’s why they don’t give you the automatic one. They force you to kick it.”
It was a painful loss for the Gators, who fell to an opponent that had fallen to tiny Troy the week before.
“The defense responded (after the kick),” McElwain said. “We just came up empty with two series on offense, and the way they were snapping the ball late in the shot clock, we knew our possessions were not going to be that many. We had to make something happen on those and we didn’t.”
It wasn't just the kick that beat the Gators, however.
Malik Davis led the Gators with 90 yards./CARMEN MANDATO
“This is a tough one to swallow and it hurts,” McElwain said. “It really does. We were prepared. We knew they were going to come in with everything and they did. That’s what good teams do with their backs against the wall, especially with good players. I thought both teams played hard. They controlled the time of possession and the clock, won on third downs and didn’t turn the ball over.”
The Gators called on freshman Feleipe Franks to throw only 16 times (10 completions).
LSU rushed for 214 yards in its victory.
“The disappointing thing is obviously not holding serve at home,” McElwain said. “Our fans were great; they were in the game the whole time. When we go back, I think we’re going to find out really the difference in the game was third downs. You guys saw it and there’s no denying that at all.”
The Gators had the ball on three possessions after the missed extra point, but gained only 24 yards.
Florida is home again next week at Florida Field against Texas A&M.
David Reese of the Gators moves in on Danny Etling./CARMEN MANDATO
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