The phrase “throw the records out when these teams play” gets thrown around recklessly in a sport with so many rivalries, but LSU/Florida proved once again that we never really know what’s going to happen when these teams meet. LSU was physically mauled last week, lost thousands of players to injury, have coaching hire rumors swirling daily, and an 11:00AM game, which always seems to take a little fight out of the Fighting Tigers. Besides that, Florida had the extra incentive of vengeance after giving the game away last year, so it’s a no-brainer. LSU didn’t stand a chance to beat Florida. How could they possibly defeat the best rushing team and 3rd best defense in the SEC after getting exposed by Kentucky?

Tyrion Davis-Price eclipsed his season total of rushing yards in a single game for the second week in a row, breaking the LSU single game record with 287 yards. It was encouraging to see him run well against Kentucky, but part of me wondered if Kentucky was content to concede rushing yards while they focused on eliminating the big play. There were no doubts against Florida; LSU imposed their will up front in a manner we haven’t seen all year. Jake Peetz completely and finally abandoned the zone run scheme in favor of an onslaught of counter trey runs that Florida simply could not stop. It was gratifying to see Price and the offensive line have such a dominant performance, considering the amount of criticism they’ve received this year. Speaking of the offensive line, it’s no coincidence that the running game has been more effective since walk-on, Jack Mashburn (no. 82), entered the lineup. Though he’s a tight end by position, his role is that of an extra lineman, and he’s contributed heavily to the newfound success of the running game.

The undermanned LSU defense would not be denied. LSU had two replacement corners, a true freshman nickelback making his first start, and a backup free safety on the field. The secondary played admirably, but they were helped by the defensive line. Florida is the best rushing team in the SEC, but they saw early on that LSU was playing to contain the running game, more specifically their quarterback. Consequently, Mullen went to the passing game early in the game, but their left tackle was quickly slapped around by BJ Ojulari. Florida took advantage of the LSU secondary misplaying a Hail Mary before the half, but they didn’t find a rhythm offensively until Mullen went exclusively to Anthony Richardson in the third quarter. Even then it didn’t matter because they couldn’t stop the LSU running game.

Sports mirror life in many ways. One truth evident in both is circumstances are never as bad as they look, and rarely as good as they look. I don’t have to list the players; the casual fan realizes the rash of injuries LSU has had this year is highly unusual. We have doubts about the head coach’s job security, so we question the effort of the players. The home crowd left early against Auburn with the game still in question, so why would they show up for a Saturday morning Florida game? Well, the backups played great, the whole team gave maximum effort, and the crowd was deafening when the Tigers needed them the most. At LSU, you’re never too far off from being a contender. There isn’t anything of significance left to win this year, but they can decide how they finish. The players, coaches, and fans can decide how they represent the purple and gold when pride is the only thing left on the line. LSU went 8-5 in 2002, then won it all in 2003. Don’t get caught up in the moment; the rumors of the demise of the LSU program are greatly exaggerated. GEAUX TIGERS!!