Two years ago, the Gators ventured into LSU’s Tiger Stadium on shaky footing with uncertainty at quarterback. They had not been tested much, and many were eager to see how they handled a road trip to arguably the most intimidating venue in college football against one of the nation’s elite teams.
The Tigers blasted them by 30 points in a game that was over in the first 10 minutes.
Some of that context sounds familiar as No. 17 Florida prepares to visit No. 10 LSU this time around, but this year’s Gators are in far better shape than the group that got drilled in 2011. A season feared to be in jeopardy after the loss of starting quarterback Jeff Driskel now looks redeemable under the steady progress of backup Tyler Murphy, a redshirt junior.
Murphy has never endured hostility like what awaits him in Baton Rouge, La., on Saturday (3:30 p.m., CBS), but he has stacked up success and confidence in his three games as Driskel’s replacement and has the Gators at 4-1, including 3-0 in the SEC. He improved each of the past three weeks and hit Arkansas with 240 yards and three touchdowns on 16-for-22 passing in the Gators’ 30-10 victory Saturday night.
“I feel ready, but I’m going to have to prepare like crazy,” Murphy said while looking ahead to LSU, which is 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC. “Any time you get game experience, that helps a lot. I’m just going to have to go back and watch the film this week and find ways I can get better and get started on LSU as soon as possible.”
This will be Murphy’s introduction to the annual game that has become Florida’s most bizarre series in recent history. In this rivalry, it’s no stretch to say anything can happen — especially in the 93,000-seat concrete cage known as Tiger Stadium.
LSU coach Les Miles welcomed Urban Meyer to this circus in 2005, when the Tigers committed five turnovers but won 21-17 at home. “The Hat” followed up two years later by hitting the jackpot on fourth-down conversions (5-for-5) and rallying from 10 down in the fourth quarter for a 28-24 victory. Totally normal stuff, right?
“Nothing is crazy when Les Miles is your head coach,” former LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard once said.
Hard to believe, but it got weirder. The 2010 season was unremarkable for either team, but they played an absurd night of football in Gainesville that October.
UF’s maligned quarterback John Brantley led the scoring drive of his life to put the Gators up by three in the final minutes, then watched his heroics dissolve thanks to an LSU fake field goal that involved a no-look, over-the-head bounce pass.
The Tigers lined up for a 53-yarder to tie the score with 35 second left, but holder Derek Helton heaved the ball backward to sprinting kicker Josh Jasper. Helton’s pitch hit the ground and bounced into Jasper’s hands as he ran for the first down.
Four plays later, LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee won the game on a 3-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Toliver.
Miles’ analysis of the fake field goal was, “How about that one, huh?”
Control of the rivalry swung drastically in Will Muschamp’s first two years as Florida coach.
Heading into Muschamp’s first trip to LSU, an injury to Brantley forced him to go with true freshman Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. Brissett, making his first career start, had little chance against the top-ranked Tigers. The 41-11 LSU win was so lopsided that Tigers punter Brad Wing earned a taunting penalty during his 44-yard touchdown run.
The following year, the Gators suffocated LSU and held on for a 14-6 victory that earned them national legitimacy and likely will be remembered as a turning point for the program.
This year’s matchup is as unpredictable as ever, but one certainty is that it remains a critical step in both teams’ drive to win the SEC.
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