Florida Footbal: Top 10 Moments of Florida, LSU Rivalry

Saturday night will mark the 69th time that the Florida Gators and LSU Tigers will face one another on the gridiron.

As nice as it has been for college football fans to see this rivalry last as long as it has since these teams first met one another on the gridiron 85 years ago, there are no warm feelings between both of the SEC powerhouses whenever they play one another.

There have been plenty of memorable moments that have taken place in this cross-divisional conference showdown over the years. From personal highlights that have catapulted players to eventual Heisman glory, to upsets that have gone on to change the national championship landscape.

While it is difficult to narrow and rank these moments in order, we figured we would do our best to rank the top 10 moments of this rivalry since the turn of the millennium.

Reviewing some of these trips down memory lane will give Florida fans goosebumps of joy all over again, as though it just happened last Saturday. But in the interest of fairness, other moments in this rivalry may cause some old anger and frustration to reemerge.

So before the Gators and Tigers take one another for the 69th time, let’s review the top 10 moments that have defined this rivalry this century.

10. Tevin Westbrook’s Costly Drop (2014)

Kicking off this list is a moment from the 2014 game inside The Swamp that is likely to draw the ire back out of Gator Nation.

Featuring a young freshman phenom in the backfield named Leonard Fournette, the Tigers were looking for their first conference win of the season after previously dropping their first two games.

Both offenses struggled to find consistency throughout the evening and points were mainly accumulated as a result of costly mistakes made by the opposite side.

The Gators managed to jump to an early 7-0 lead thanks to a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown thanks to LSU’s special teams lack of effort with attempting to tackle wide receiver Andre Debose.

However, the Tigers eventually managed to tie the game less than three minutes later thanks to a costly fumble by Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel deep in Florida territory.

Both squads went back and forth with swapping the lead all the way into the fourth quarter. Florida’s multiple turnovers and gaffs in coverage on 3rd and long allowed LSU to carry a 27-20 lead with 2:40 left in regulation.

On the first play of the pursuing drive following an LSU touchdown, Driskel found wide receiver Demarcus Robinson deep down the right sideline for what originally appeared to be a 75-yard touchdown pass. Instead, Robinson was ruled down at the LSU 2-yard line with still over two minutes remaining.

Florida attempted to punch the ball into the end zone on the ground on its first two plays in the red zone, but was unsuccessful. On a critical 3rd and goal from the 1-yard line, Gators offensive coordinator Kurt Roper called a play action play that allowed Driskel to throw the ball to a wide open Tevin Westbrook in the end zone.

But instead of hauling in the pass to give the Gators a 30-27 lead, the senior tight end developed a case of butterfingers and dropped the easy touchdown, resulting in Florida kicking a game-tying field goal instead the following play.

In reality the costly mistake happened on Florida’s final offensive drive two minutes later, after the Gators defense forced LSU to a three-and-out, when Driskel threw a costly interception around midfield to Ricky Jefferson. Jefferson returned the interception to the Florida 33-yard line, putting LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye right into field goal range with only 15 seconds left to kick the eventual game winning field goal.

While Driskel deserved a great deal of the blame for Florida’s loss that October evening after committing three costly turnovers, the biggest what if moment came from Westbrook’s dropped touchdown.

Had Westbrook reeled in the catch, the Gators would have likely attempted to run out the clock (literally) to secure a 4-1 overall record and remain in the hunt for the SEC championship.

Perhaps in this scenario Florida does not embarrass itself the following week at homecoming against Missouri, but instead finds a way to win that game and thus create a clear path to Atlanta for a rematch with Alabama.

Maybe, just maybe, this change of outcome would have had enough of an effect to convince athletic director Jeremy Foley to retain head coach Will Muschamp for at least one more season.

Unfortunately the past cannot be changed and instead Florida fans are left with the memory of one of the worst offensive blunders in Gators history.

9. Matt Elam Strips OBJ (2012)

The 2012 matchup between Florida and LSU can be summarized in one word: defense.

Heading into a midafternoon kickoff inside The Swamp, both teams were undefeated and ranked inside the top 10 of the BCS standings. The biggest reason both teams were highly rated midseason was due to their stellar defenses.

By the end of 2012 both defenses were ranked inside the top 10 nationally in points allowed, with the Gators surrendering only 15.6 points per game while the Tigers allowed 17.2. Both defenses also ranked in the top 8 nationally in yards allowed, with each surrendering fewer than 310 total yards per game.

What was previously dubbed as a battle of two juggernaut defenses did not disappoint either, as both teams combined for 437 total yards of offense throughout the entirety of the game.

The Gators offense primarily relied on their ground attack, as they rushed for 176 yards on a combined 58 carries. Meanwhile sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel threw only 12 passes the entire game for a grand total of 61 yards.

On the flip side LSU’s offense struggled to get the ground game working at all, as they were held to a total of 42 yards on a combined 25 rush attempts. But unlike the Gators, LSU opted to let junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger sling the ball 25 times throughout the game.

Part of the reason for this was because LSU’s receiving core contained future NFL All-Pro wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

The box score says that Beckham Jr. caught four passes for 78 yards against a highly talented Gators secondary that day. However, one of those four catches ultimately turned the tide of the game in Florida’s favor.

After the Gators scored their first points of the game and took a 7-6 lead midway through the third quarter, the Tigers were looking to respond with a touchdown of their own. On critical 3rd and 7 on the LSU 21-yard line, Mettenberger slinged the ball deep down the right sideline to a wide open Beckham Jr., who had slipped his way past All-SEC cornerback Marcus Roberson to get open.

Just when it looked like Beckham Jr. was going to scamper down the field to reclaim the lead for the Tigers, All-American safety Matt Elam came flying down the sideline to bring down OBJ at the Florida 23-yard line. But prior to Beckham Jr. hitting the ground, Elam stripped the ball out of OBJ’s hands and recovered it for Florida’s second forced turnover of the game.

Instead of LSU retaking the lead, Florida seized momentum off and marched 77 yards down the field on a lengthy 11-play drive to extend the lead to eight points.

From that point on LSU’s offense could only muster 40 more total yards and never got past their own 45-yard line again in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Both programs would finish the season with double-digit wins, giving the SEC a record-high six teams with double digit wins in 2012. Despite many wondering if these two would meet in a rematch later that December, both teams surprisingly failed to reach the SEC Championship.

At the time this was considered Will Muschamp’s signature win in his young head coaching tenure and was thought to be a springboard for Florida to get back to the college football mountain top.

Though Florida’s SEC and BCS championship hopes were ultimately crushed just a few weeks later by divisional rival Georgia, Florida fans were at least able to rejoice in the fact that they defeated the reigning SEC champions and prevented them from returning back to the BCS championship for a second consecutive season.

8. A Bulldozer Named Hester (2007)

The 2007 season will always be a memorable one for Florida fans, as this was the year Tim Tebow emerged as the best overall player in the sport and became the first underclassman ever to win the Heisman trophy.

The Gators started the season 4-1, with their lone loss coming in a 20-17 defeat at the hands of an unranked Auburn team on a last-second field goal.

Despite the blemish on the record, the Gators were still sitting inside the top 10 of the AP poll, with an opportunity to regain their momentum as championship contenders as they traveled to Baton Rouge in early October for a date with no. 1 ranked LSU.

The Gators asserted their dominance early against the Tigers, as Tebow and company managed to score 17 points in the first half against a LSU defense that by year’s end was allowing fewer than 20 points per game.

Near the beginning of the fourth quarter the Gators found themselves up 24-14 on the road, with the ball at their own 20-yard line after LSU failed to make a 37-yard field goal.

But instead of driving down the field and killing time to put the game out of reach for the Tigers, the Gators turned the ball over on back-to-back drives after Tebow was picked off by Kirston Pittman. The ensuing drive ended with quarterback Matt Flynn finding wide receiver Demetrius Byrd in the end zone on a critical 4th and goal to reduce Florida’s lead to three points.

Though Florida was forced to a three-and-out on their next drive on offense, it felt like with 9:20 left in regulation that the Gators were still in control of the game. Even if LSU somehow managed to tie or take the lead on their next possession, there would likely be at least enough time for the eventual Heisman trophy winner to lead the Gators down the field for either a game tying or winning drive.

Despite starting the drive at their own 40, LSU’s first two plays on offense went about as poorly as it could go. And thanks to a rare offensive pass interference call, the Tigers offense backed themselves into a difficult 3rd and 16 at their own 34-yard line.

But after Flynn managed to scramble for 15 yards on third down, it was time for LSU senior tailback Jacob Hester to make his mark on the game’s final outcome.

First Hester converted the critical 4th and 1 by pounding it up the middle for two yards.

Four plays later Hester gashed the Gators defense again by picking up 19 yards on the ground to put the Tigers at Florida’s 19-yard line.

After failing to convert on 3rd and 1, Hester’s number was called again by pounding it up the middle for LSU’s fifth fourth down conversion of the night.

Three plays later Hester capped off a 15-play drive that lasted over eight minutes by rushing it for five yards into the end zone on third and goal to give the Tigers their first lead of the night.

After a successful extra-point attempt, the Gators found themselves down 28-24, needing to drive 80 yards down the field in 69 seconds to win the game.

Despite working their way to midfield in order to set up one last Hail Mary attempt, Tebow’s final pass was deflected in the end zone and thus Florida’s hopes of repeating as national champions were gone.

Following an upset loss to Georgia later that month, the Gators were knocked out of the SEC championship race and would not get an opportunity at a rematch against the Tigers in Atlanta.

The Gators ultimately finished the season 9-4, ending with an embarrassing defeat in the Capital One Bowl to Michigan in Lloyd Carr’s final game as a head coach.

Meanwhile the Tigers would go on to win the SEC championship and became the first two-loss team to reach the BCS championship game. Much like the Gators the previous season, the Tigers would throttle undefeated Ohio State 38-24 to claim the program’s third national championship.

To this day Florida fans still have nightmares of Jacob Hester, donning a no. 18 LSU jersey, gashing through Florida’s defense.

Had the Gators managed to stop Hester from converting just one of those fourth down attempts on LSU’s eventual game winning drive, then perhaps the Gators may have found a way to survive in Death Valley that fateful night. Maybe then the Gators would have been the ones to become the first ever two-loss team to reach the BCS championship game and repeat as champions.

7. Percy Takes It to the House (2008)

There were plenty of reasons for the Gators to be hyped up for their match against LSU back in 2008.

The obvious of course being the team’s lust for vengeance from a late collapse in a 28-24 defeat in Death Valley the previous year. But it was also Florida’s first home game since their humbling 31-30 defeat at the hands of an unranked Ole Miss Rebels team just two weeks prior.

The Ole Miss loss is still remembered vividly throughout Gator Nation, as it was during the post-game press conference where reigning Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow delivered his famous speech simply known as “The Promise.”

While Florida did bounce back the following week by defeating Arkansas on the road 38-7, a matchup against the undefeated, no. 4 ranked LSU Tigers that were the reigning national champions would be the biggest early test to Tebow’s public decree.

Starting the game from their own 32-yard line, Florida’s first two plays on offense were lackluster, resulting in two yards lost from the original line of scrimmage.

But on a critical 3rd and 12, Tebow stood in the pocket and fired a missile 25 yards down the left side of the field to his favorite playmaker, Percy Harvin.

It looked as though junior safety Danny McCray was going to deflect the pass initially to force a three-and-out for the Gators. Instead, the ball was tipped forward into the hands of Harvin, who then proceeded to rocket his way an additional 40 yards down the field to score the first touchdown of the night.

The Gators went on to score on each of their first three drives, while LSU struggled to find its footing offensively and scored only seven points in the first half.

Similar to the previous year, the Gators held a two-score lead heading into halftime. But unlike last year’s game in Baton Rouge where they lost their momentum and were outscored 21-7 in the second half, the Gators never relinquished any significant amount of momentum to the Tigers.

LSU managed to score a touchdown on its opening drive in the second half to cut the deficit to six points. But the Gators answered back by scoring 21 unanswered points over the next nine minutes of the game.

The biggest statement in the second half came when junior linebacker Brandon Spikes picked off LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee the second time that evening and returned it 52 yards to put the Gators up 41-14 at the start of the 4th quarter.

For a second straight week, Tebow’s promise came to fruition as Tebow personally accounted for 232 yards of total offense and three total touchdowns against an LSU defense that ended the season ranked inside the top 30 nationally. Florida’s 51 points were the most any team had scored against a LSU defense since Florida’s 56-point effort back in 1996.

With a 20-point victory against the Tigers, the Gators jumped their way back up to the top 5 in the AP poll and were immediately thought of again as championship contenders on a national level.

But had the deflected pass by McCray not fall perfectly into the hands of Harvin on Florida’s opening drive, who’s to say that this game would wind up being this lopsided in Florida’s favor.

6. The Mad Hatter Strikes Back (2010)

The 2010 chapter of this rivalry was a story of two programs trending in opposite directions.

After posting a 9-4 record in 2009 with statistically one of the worst offenses in the SEC, the Tigers won their opening five games of the season and found themselves sitting just outside of the top 10 in the AP poll (no. 12) with a top 15 defense in almost every defensive category.

Meanwhile the Gators, following the departure of Tim Tebow and the majority of their starters from the previous two seasons, found themselves facing an identity crisis on offense.

Though the Gators started the year 4-1 and were also not too far off from the top 10 (no. 14), Florida’s efficiency on offense was at its worst throughout the entire Urban Meyer era.

Outside of a 48-point outing against Kentucky, Florida’s offense could not develop any type of consistency in the passing game. Junior quarterback John Brantley had the most difficult shoes to fill of any player on Florida’s roster, having to replace a living legend that delivered a Heisman trophy and two national championships in the previous four years.

Entering the LSU game Brantley had thrown for a combined 617 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in Florida’s three previous SEC games. This included a dreadful 31-6 losing effort against reigning national champion Alabama in Tuscaloosa the week prior.

Despite both offenses having several question marks heading into this Saturday night showdown, there were no issues with points being scored throughout the contest.

While both teams combined for 406 yards of total offense, they somehow managed to combine for 62 points. This was in due part caused by each offense starting with great field position thanks to either turnovers or great returns by their respective special teams.

Florida’s best player that night was freshman wide receiver Andre Debose, who returned five kicks for 154 yards, including an 88-yard kick return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately for the Gators, their late efforts on both defense and special teams would wind up being the deciding factor.

After Florida’s offense managed to piece together a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that gave the Gators a 29-26 lead, the Tigers got the ball back at their own 37-yard line with 3:10 left in the 4th quarter.

Over the next six plays the Tigers managed to drive down to Florida’s 36-yard line, setting up 4th and 3. LSU coach Les Miles called timeout to give himself extra time to figure out what he was going to do.

With only 35 seconds left on the clock, Miles decided to send the field goal unit out in what looked to be an attempt to send the game into overtime.

But in a move that stunned the 88,000 fans in attendance, Miles called for a fake attempt in which the placeholder lateralled the ball over his shoulder to kicker Josh Jasper, who picked up the yardage needed to convert for a first down.

After a lengthy review in which the officials confirmed it was a backwards lateral, LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee connected with receiver Terrence Toliver on a quick slant route on the very next play that put the Tigers three yards away from the end zone.

Three plays later Lee connected with Toliver again on a fade route on the left side of the end zone to give LSU the lead with six seconds left to play.

As a result the Tigers moved to 6-0 and wound up finishing the year 11-2, including a win over reigning national champion Alabama and a Cotton Bowl victory over Texas A&M.

Meanwhile the Gators spiraled to a 7-5 regular season record. Following a 31-7 road loss to Florida State, Gators head coach Urban Meyer announced his retirement for the second time and was gone from Florida’s sidelines following their 37-24 Outback Bowl victory over Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions.

The 2010 LSU loss officially marked the beginning of Florida’s decline from the college football’s mountain top.

While 2010 was considered a difficult season for Florida fans to endure, the Gators still managed to finish second in the SEC East, one win behind division winner South Carolina.

Though the Gamecocks easily manhandled the Gators 36-14 later that November, perhaps the outlook on Florida’s 2010 season would have changed drastically had they been able to stop Josh Jasper from converting on fourth down.

If Jasper doesn’t pick up the first down, the Gators would have been able to run out the clock and would be sitting with a 5-1 record at the halfway point of the season. With the extra boost of confidence after beating an undefeated rival, perhaps the Gators don’t fall victim to a 10-7 upset the following week against Mississippi State as part of Dan Mullen’s homecoming.

Maybe instead the Gators use the acquired momentum from the LSU game to beat Mississippi State too, and thus put them in position to face Cam Newton’s Auburn in the SEC Championship game.

There’s a ton of what ifs that can be asked based on the final 35 seconds of this game. And while no sane Florida fan will admit publicly that they would have liked to keep Urban Meyer around longer, maybe Florida’s decline would have at least been delayed a bit longer had the officials ruled the lateral a forward pass or if Jasper had been stuffed behind the first down marker.

5. Burrow’s Pick Six (2018)

The 2018 edition of this cross divisional rivalry had plenty of storylines heading into the weekend.

LSU was in its second full season under head coach Ed Orgeron. After beating two top 10 teams in September, the Tigers found themselves sitting a 5-0 and ranked no. 4 in the country as they traveled to Gainesville.

Meanwhile Florida was in its first season with Dan Mullen as its head coach.

After seeing their 31-game winning streak against Kentucky come to an end back in week 2, the Gators offense began to find their stride by winning their next three games while simultaneously averaging 36 points per game during that span.

With Gators legend Tim Tebow in attendance as part of his induction into the Florida’s Ring of Honor, the crowd of over 80,000 Florida fans in attendance were ready to see the Gators avenge their heartbreaking one-point loss to the Tigers from a year ago.

Points were difficult to come by for both teams during the first three quarters, as the Gators held a 14-13 lead entering the final quarter.

Within a few minutes after fans finished singing Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” LSU reclaimed the lead off a Nick Brossette touchdown run.

Not to be outdone, the Gators answered back by going on a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Lamical Perine.

After both teams failed their respective two-point attempts and punted on each of their subsequent offensive drives, the Tigers got the ball back at their own 12-yard line.

Before he became the no. 1 overall pick and produced the greatest statistical season of any college quarterback in history, Joe Burrow was simply known as the former backup quarterback at Ohio State who couldn’t beat Dwayne Haskins out for the starting job in Columbus.

With two minutes left in the fourth quarter and with a kicker that previously made a field goal from as far away as 42 yards, there was plenty of time for Joe Burrow to turn into “Joe Cool.”

After picking up just six yards on their first two plays, the Tigers were faced with a critical 3rd and 4 deep in their own territory. Burrow attempted to convert the down by finding his 6’7” wide receiver Stephen Sullivan three yards beyond the first down marker on the right sideline.

Instead, Gators safety and Louisiana native Brad Stewart Jr. read Burrow’s eyes, picked off the pass and returned it 25 yards for a pick six.

Speaking as someone who was in attendance for this game, it took several days for my ears to regain their full hearing after dealing with the high-pitched pandemonium that came from this game-clinching play.

Though the Gators wound up finishing the season with a 5-3 conference record and failed to make it back to the SEC championship, it was Stewart’s interception and Florida’s victory against the Tigers that day that signaled Florida’s impending (albeit brief) return to the table as one of college football’s top national programs.

4. The Shoe Toss Heard Around the World (2020)

Unlike the 2018 edition, Florida’s home game had a polar opposite effect on the program’s psyche.

After many fans wondered if there would even be a college football season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SEC officials announced during the summer that their teams would play a strict 10-game schedule, with room to flex the games in the event of players or staff members either testing positive or being exposed to the coronavirus.

Initially planned for Oct. 17, the game between these two programs was rescheduled to Dec. 12 due to multiple positive COVID-19 cases on Florida’s roster.

Entering the rescheduled December contest, the Gators were riding on cloud nine.

The Gators entered the game with a 8-1 record, with their lone loss being on the road to Texas A&M in week 3. Despite this loss, the Gators were still sitting at no. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings with a secured date against the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game and legitimate chance of making the program’s first ever playoff appearance.

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask was also heavily being discussed as a favorite to win the Heisman trophy that year, having thrown for 38 touchdowns and only three interceptions in Florida’s previous nine games.

Meanwhile the Tigers were experiencing a massive championship hangover. After losing the majority of their starters from the national championship game earlier that January to the NFL, the Tigers were an abysmal 3-5 prior to their trip to The Swamp.

Though the Tigers had announced earlier that week that they would be issuing a self-imposed bowl ban while the NCAA was investigating the program’s recruiting history, the Tigers needed to win this game and the following week at home against Ole Miss to avoid their first losing season since 1999.

While this game generally had a history of being a high-profile matchup with a one-score spread, the Gators opened the game as a hefty 23-point home favorite against the Tigers.

The first three offensive drives for each team contained a touchdown, along with two punts. However, the momentum began to shift in LSU’s favor early in the second quarter after cornerback Eli Ricks picked off Kyle Trask and returned it 68 yards to put the Tigers up 14-7.

Seven plays later, after driving the Gators 60 yards up the field to put them in position to tie the game, Trask threw an uncharacteristic second interception to safety Jay Ward.

After the Tigers carried a 24-17 lead heading into halftime and scored a field goal on their opening possession of the second half, Florida’s offense answered back with back-to-back touchdown drives to retake the lead at 31-27 towards the end of the third quarter.

But as the night progressed and the fog became more dense inside The Swamp, Florida’s vise grip on LSU began to weaken.

On LSU’s first drive of the fourth quarter, the Tigers faced a critical 3rd and 7 on their own 32-yard line. Though the four-yard pass from quarterback Max Johnson to receiver Kayshon Boutte was ruled incomplete, Gators cornerback Marco Wilson was called for pass interference and thus granted the Tigers a fresh set of downs.

Though the Tigers continued their drive down the field and eventually retook the lead off a four-yard touchdown catch by Tre Bradford, Wilson’s earlier penalty on the drive would ultimately prove to be just his second worst mistake of the night.

Following a 31-yard field goal by Evan McPherson to tie the game at 34, the Tigers got the ball back on offense with 2:51 left in regulation.

Dealing with a difficult 3rd and 10 after two straight incompletions, the Tigers came up six yards short of the first down marker at their own 35-yard line on third down. At this point it looked as though the Tigers would be punting the ball back to Florida with around 90 seconds left, giving Trask enough time to drive the ball down the field within field goal range.

Instead, the officials called a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Marco Wilson after chucking Kole Taylor’s loose cleat down the field following the third-down tackle.

With a fresh set of downs at their own 44-yard line, the Tigers marched another 17 yards down the field before sending kicker Cade York out for a potential game-winning field goal. Despite the goal post being 57 yards away and kicking in a dense fog, York drilled the kick down the middle to secure a 37-34 upset win for the Tigers.

What was supposed to be a tune-up game for Alabama on senior night turned into a living nightmare for Gator Nation.

In a wicked sense of irony, Florida’s national championship aspirations were thrown out the window the second Wilson had a lapse in judgment and decided to toss Taylor’s cleat.

The Gators proceeded to lose their final two games of the season, including an embarrassing 55-20 Cotton Bowl loss to Oklahoma.

Less than a year later Dan Mullen was fired from his head coaching position after the Gators lost eight of their next 13 games following their defeat to LSU. This included a 49-42 defeat to the Tigers again, where the Gators were once again favored by over 20 points in Baton Rouge.

While there were plenty of other reasons as to why Florida lost this game, such as losing the turnover battle 3-0, the majority of Florida fans will only remember this game as the night Marco Wilson literally threw away both the game and a potential national championship.

3. The Goal Line Stand (2016)

The 2020 game was not the only time this rivalry game had to be rescheduled this millennium.

In 2016, the Gators and Tigers were originally scheduled to play in Gainesville on Oct. 15. But with Hurricane Matthew expected to approach the state of Florida that Friday and both sides failing to come to an agreement to reschedule the game for a different time that week, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey ultimately made the decision to have the game rescheduled in Baton Rouge on Nov. 19.

Though fans were glad to see that this game would indeed be played that season, there was plenty of animosity brewing between both programs heading into the game.

LSU fans will say that Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley was purposefully delaying making any sort of decision in order to avoid playing in LSU on a short week. Florida fans will say that LSU athletic director Joe Alleva was not being realistic with his demands at the negotiating table and was attempting to turn a natural disaster into a cheap publicity stunt.

Regardless of what the actual truth is, the game itself had major implications on the line for the Gators.

Despite having their 11-game win streak against Tennessee snapped in Knoxville earlier in September, the Gators still found themselves leading the SEC East by a one-game lead over the Volunteers.

Florida’s path to their first SEC championship game appearance since 2009 was a simple one: beat LSU and you’re in.

Though the Tigers entered the game with a 6-3 overall record, they still held a psychological advantage over the Gators due to their current three-game winning streak in this rivalry.

Despite star running back Leonard Fournette being ruled out for the game, the Tigers were still listed as 13.5-point home favorites against the Gators, who were 0-2 against teams that scored more than 14 points against them in a game.

After Florida’s first offensive drive ended with a punt, the Tigers put together a 12-play, 80-yard drive to give themselves a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Though the Gators had less than 100 yards of total offense in the first half, they managed to keep the game close at 7-3 heading into halftime.

Outside of their made field goal, the biggest play of the game for the Gators in the first half was when Florida defensive tackle Caleb Brantley forced LSU running back Derrius Guice to fumble the ball away after LSU’s offense had driven their way down to Florida’s 7-yard line.

Starting at their own 2-yard line on their opening drive of the second half, the Gators received a miracle when quarterback Austin Appleby threw a deep rainbow down the right sideline to receiver Tyrie Cleveland, who blew by the LSU secondary and traveled 98 yards to give the Gators a 10-7 lead.

With under five minutes left to go in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 10, the Gators found themselves in position on multiple occasions to put the game away.

After getting the ball back at their own 22-yard line, the Gators managed to chew up over seven minutes of game time by methodically marching their way down all the way to LSU’s 1-yard line. Despite being so close to the end zone, a botched pitch in the backfield on 3rd and goal relegated the Gators to kick a field goal instead.

On the pursuing kickoff, LSU returner Donte Jackson fumbled the ball away to the Gators at their own 21-yard line. But despite having excellent field position with 4:29 left in the quarter, the Gators had to settle for another field goal and managed to kill only 73 seconds off the game clock.

Down by six points with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter, the Tigers had to march 75 yards down the field to score the game winning touchdown.

In a matter of nine plays that included a critical fourth down conversion, the Tigers managed to climb all the way down to the Florida 7-yard line. Then after two straight positive gains by Guice on the ground, the Tigers had two attempts with 30 seconds remaining from one yard away to score and win the game.

After fullback J.D. Moore was stuffed at the line of scrimmage on third down, the Tigers called their final timeout with three seconds remaining. It was all going to come down to one final play to determine who would win the game and whether or not the Gators would clinch the division title.

Despite not having Leonard Fournette for the game, the Tigers offense had managed to accumulate 219 yards on the ground up to that point, with Guice leading the way with 83 yards and touchdown early in the first quarter.

With nine men lined up on the line of scrimmage and with both Moore and Guice in the backfield, it appeared that LSU’s plan was to have Moore block any penetrating defenders in order to allow Guice enough room to pull a Fournette and lunge his way into the end zone for the game winner.

As soon as Guice got the ball from Etling and the path to the end zone was set by Moore, Guice attempted to leap his way in for the game winner. But while he was in midair near the line of scrimmage, a pair of Gators snatched his legs and yanked him down just short of crossing the end zone.

In the blink of an eye, the Gators had captured both their first win in Baton Rouge and their first SEC East title since 2009.

Though the Gators would later get crushed 54-16 by Alabama in the SEC championship game two weeks later, Florida’s goal line stand against LSU will be remembered as perhaps the biggest moment in this rivalry’s history throughout the 2010s.

2. Ratliff Haunts LSU (2003)

The 2003 edition of this rivalry was a tale of two SEC bluebloods heading in opposite directions.

Under fourth-year head coach Nick Saban, the LSU Fighting Tigers were starting to be considered early on as potential national championship contenders. Undefeated at 5-0, the Tigers were not only one of the highest scoring offenses in the nation at 40.2 points per game, but they were also beating their opponents by an average margin of 31.6 points per game.

Meanwhile the Florida Gators were not off to a great start under second-year head coach Ron Zook. The Gators were entering Baton Rouge with a 3-3 overall record and a 1-2 conference record. In their first three SEC games the Gators were averaging a miniscule 17 points per game, which was a far cry from the Steve Spurrier days.

After having to rally late in the game to beat a bad Kentucky team on the road and losing to an unranked Ole Miss team at home in their previous two weeks, the Gators were listed as major underdogs against the Tigers. Not only was LSU expected to win the game, but many believed that the game would be over by halftime.

The game itself got off to a rocky start for the Gators. After being forced to a three-and-out on their opening drive, the Gators punted the ball back deep into LSU territory. However, Tigers wide receiver Skyler Green brought the punt back 80 yards to give the Tigers an early 7-0 lead.

With over 90,000 Tigers fans roaring throughout Tiger Stadium immediately after this moment, the floodgates were expected to open on the Gators and perhaps LSU would go on to break their record for largest margin of victory in this rivalry, set at 41 points back in 1971.

But neither of those things happened that afternoon. Little did anyone know at the time that this would be the only time the Tigers would score any points in this game.

The following drive true freshman quarterback Chris Leak led the Gators on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended with him throwing to senior running back Ran Carthon wide open up the middle for a 22-yard touchdown to tie the game.

Attempting to retake momentum, the Tigers on their next offensive possession immediately drove their way down to Florida’s 38-yard line in a matter of three plays.

Just when it looked like the Tigers were on their way to retake the lead, senior cornerback Keiwan Ratliff took matters into his own hands.

As Tigers quarterback Matt Mauck attempted to connect with future first-round wide receiver Michael Clayton deep down the left sideline, Ratliff jumped in front of Clayton’s route to snag his second interception of the season. Ratliff returned the interception 45 yards to put the Gators offense back on the field at the LSU 30-yard line.

Though the Gators would settle for a field goal after the turnover, the defense had taken a psychological advantage over Maucke thanks to Ratliff’s interception.

For the first time all season the Tigers offense was shut out in the first half. In fact over the course of their next seven offensive possessions, the Tigers accumulated a combined total of 38 net yards, including only one third down conversion. The Tigers offense would not make their way back into Gators territory until there was a little over 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Down 19-7 and faced with a 4th and 2 on Florida’s 40-yard line, the Tigers called an option play on the right side with Maucke opting to keep the ball himself in order to pick up the first down. Instead he was stuffed at the line of scrimmage and thus LSU’s most productive offensive drive since the first quarter came to an end with no points.

Two minutes later the Tigers would get the ball back after forcing the Gators to a three-and-out. After connecting with receivers Michael Clayton and Devery Henderson for 35 yards through the air on their first two plays, the Tigers again found themselves right around the Gators 40-yard line.

Just when it looked like the Tigers were finally about to put together a scoring drive on offense, Ratliff broke LSU’s spirit and silenced Tigers Stadium by collecting his second interception of the game off an intended pass for Clayton near the Gators 36-yard line.

What was projected to be an offensive onslaught by the Tigers instead turned into a Herculean effort by Ratliff and the Gators defense.

It was Florida’s first victory against a ranked opponent since defeating no. 5 Georgia the year previous, but arguably the biggest win in Zook’s coaching career. While Florida fans have a slim amount of positive things to say about Zook’s tenure, this upset victory catapulted the Gators onto a five-game winning streak that included three straight wins against SEC teams ranked in the top 11.

As embarrassing as it was for the Tigers to get shut out on offense in front of their home crowd that day, it did not manage to derail their season. The Tigers would go on to win their final eight games by a margin of 21.9 points per game, including a 21-14 over no. 3 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl to claim the program’s first national championship in 45 years.

Though Tigers fans would prefer to just remember their SEC and BCS championship winning performances from that season, they cannot forget their one loss that came at home to a true freshman quarterback making his first career start and a stifling defense that held them scoreless.

1. The Jump Pass (2006)

While LSU fans will certainly disagree with this, there is one moment in this rivalry from this millennium that stands out above them all. A moment that served as the beginning of the mystique surrounding a man that many to this day still consider the greatest college football player of all time.

Heading into the first weekend of October 2006, both the Gators and Tigers found themselves ranked inside the top 10 in the AP poll.

Though they previously lost to Auburn 7-3 three weeks prior, many still believed LSU was in control of their destiny as both SEC and national championship contenders. Especially with quarterback and soon-to-be no. 1 overall pick Jamarcus Russell running the offense.

Meanwhile the Gators entered that weekend undefeated at 5-0 under second-year head coach Urban Meyer. Though the Gators were undefeated, there were still sections of Florida fans that were calling for a change at quarterback entering the midway point of the season.

Florida quarterback and incumbent starter Chris Leak was not having a bad senior season up to that point. Through five games Leak had thrown 14 touchdowns to only four interceptions. His second-half performance against no. 13 Tennessee was the biggest reason the Gators were able to rally from a 10-point deficit to win in Knoxville back in week 3.

The reason some Florida fans wanted to see a quarterback change was because the Gators were only averaging 25 points against SEC competition up to that point and were wanting to see what their highly touted backup quarterback could do instead.

That backup quarterback was none other than five-star true freshman Tim Tebow.

Though he was brought in from time to time as a wildcat style quarterback through the Gators first five games, his primary objective was to pick up yards on the ground. Heading into the LSU game Tebow had only thrown 12 passes for 116 yards and had yet to score his first passing touchdown.

Though Leak would start against the Tigers and play the majority of the game, it was this afternoon where Tebow’s collegiate legend started.

After Russell led the Tigers to a touchdown on their opening drive, the Gators found themselves deep in Tigers territory at the 19-yard line after a muffed punt by returner Chevis Jackson.

Tebow picked up 15 yards on the ground on two rush attempts, including a 1-yard touchdown run on 4th and goal to tie the game at 7.

Three Florida drives later the Gators found themselves with the ball at their own 28-yard line after cornerback Ryan Smith picked off Russell. Still a tie game and with 2:51 left in the half, the Gators had an opportunity to head into halftime with a lead.

Over the next seven plays Leak led the Gators through an aerial attack all the way down to LSU’s 7-yard line. When the Gators reached the red zone for the second time that day, it was once again Tebow Time.

After calling his own number and picking up three yards on the ground, Tebow and the offense were faced with a 2nd and goal at the LSU 4-yard line with 28 seconds remaining in the half. After a timeout called by Meyer, the Gators lined up again with Tebow alone in the backfield, six yards away from the line of scrimmage.

After receiving the snap, it looked like Tebow was going to attempt to pile drive his way up the Tigers defense to score his second rushing touchdown of the game. Instead, Tebow jumped up at the 4-yard line, did one pump fake and then threw a rainbow pass in midair to a wide open Tate Casey in the back of the endzone.

Known simply as the jump pass, Tebow posted his first career passing touchdown and gave the Gators a 14-7 lead, along with a plethora of momentum.

The Tigers started to melt psychologically at that point. Following the touchdown, LSU’s special teams committed a major blunder when they muffed the kickoff, resulting in returner Trindon Holliday recovering the ball in LSU’s endzone for a safety.

With a 16-7 lead, the Gators opened the second half with possession of the ball.

After Leak led the Gators down to LSU’s 35-yard line in just four plays, Tebow was surprisingly called in to take over at quarterback. In what was perceived to be a quarterback draw, Tebow caught LSU’s defense off guard by taking a step back and throwing it to a wide open Louis Murphy for a 35-yard touchdown pass.

Outside of a field goal early in the fourth quarter, the Tigers would fail to score any points in the second half. Russell had his worst performance that season by throwing for only 228 yards on 41 pass attempts and threw a career-high three interceptions.

Though LSU wound up winning their final seven games of the season, it was their 23-10 loss against Florida that ultimately cost them a return trip to Atlanta for a second straight year.

Meanwhile the Gators wound up finishing the regular season with a 7-1 conference record, which was good enough to earn Florida its first division title since 2000.

The Gators of course would go on to defeat no. 8 Arkansas 38-28 in Atlanta for the program’s then-record seventh SEC championship. It was also just enough for the BCS computers to leap the Gators ahead of the 11-1 Michigan Wolverines in the standings and put them in the BCS championship game against the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes.

Despite the Buckeyes being the odds-on favorites to win it all, led by Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith, the Gators would stun the Buckeyes to win the program’s second national championship 41-14.

Though Tebow did not start a single game at quarterback for the Gators during the 2006 season, his efforts both running and throwing the ball whenever his number was called played a pivotal part in Florida’s title run.

While Tebow had previously shown off his physical nature as a power runner during Florida’s first five games, it was his two passing touchdowns against LSU that proved he was a true dual threat at quarterback and served as his notice to the college football world that a star was born.

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