No. 2 Florida Passes By LSU, 44-15
10/06/01


BATON ROUGE -- Quarterback Rex Grossman led the second-ranked Florida Gators to a 44-15 victory over the 18th-ranked LSU Tigers in front of a stadium-record 92,020 on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.

Rohan Davey, who was injured just before halftime, did not play in the second half after a hyper-extended left knee. Davey passed for 154 yards on 7-of-17 attempts and an interception. In his place, redshirt freshman Matt Mauck played valiantly, completing 11-of-22 passes for 132 yards and rushing for 37 yards on seven carries.

The LSU defense allowed only 16 points over the final three quarters after allowing 21 in the first quarter.

Grossman passed for the most yards against the Tigers in school history, as he completed 22-of-32 passes for 464 yards and five touchdowns. Florida gained 632 yards of total offense to LSU's 423.

LSU fell to 2-2 overall and 0-2 against a pair of Top 10 SEC schools. Florida improved to 5-0 and 3-0 in SEC play.

Just as it did in 47 percent of its possessions coming into the game, the Florida Gators drove down the field 55 yards in six plays for a 13-yard touchdown pass from Grossman to Taylor Jacobs to take a 7-0 lead. Robert Gillespie's 45-yard kickoff return began the drive that took 3:01 off the clock.

The Tigers began their first time from the 23-yard line and immediately went to wide receiver Josh Reed for 25 yards underneath the deep Florida zone. After two rushes netted minus-3 yards for LaBrandon Toefield, Davey went back to Reed for 30 more yards on the same route.

However, a Florida sack by Kennard Ellis and Ian Scott gave LSU a third-and-23 from Florida's 27 yard line. Davey's scrambling heave to Michael Clayton in the corner of the end zone came up just short and the Tigers were forced to settle for a 44-yard John Corbello field goal.

LSU cut the lead to 7-3 and took 4:23 off the clock, driving 50 yards in 12 plays.

Again, Florida moved the ball at will on its next drive, as Grossman was 3-for-3 for 68 yards and a 34-yard touchdown pass to Reche Caldwell for a 14-3 lead.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Davey was intercepted for the first time in 125 attempts, as safety Todd Johnson dropped into coverage and picked off a ball intended for Reed. Davey's previous interception came against Florida in 2000.

Just as it looked like LSU had the Gators corralled with a second-and-25 from the 37 yard line, Grossman hit Gaffney in stride for a 63-yard completion on a fly pattern. Florida led 21-3. The drive took only 28 seconds.

On third-and-23, LSU came up with some fire of its own, as Davey scrambled out the reach of Alex Brown and hit a leaping Reed for 39 yards and a first down at the Florida 29-yard line. With the catch, Reed moved from ninth to seventh on the LSU career receiving yardage list with 1,749, ahead of Carlos Carson (1,728 yards from 1977-79) and Larry Foster (1,747 from 1996-99).

On third-and-15, Davey then hit Clayton between two defenders for 30 yards down to the Florida 4-yard line. Pass interference was called on Florida in the endzone, giving LSU second-and-goal from the 2. Toefield scored his seventh touchdown of the season over the left side to cut the lead to 21-9. Corbello's point after attempt was blocked by Lito Sheppard. The 17-play drive covered 87 yards and lasted 6:26.

The score was only the second touchdown Florida had allowed in the first half during the 2001 season.

For the first time in the game, the LSU defense stopped the Gators with 12:20 remaining in the first half. Cornerbacks Demetrius Hookfin and Eric Damond had key plays to finally thwart the juggernaut.

On the next LSU possession, a personal foul after a third-and-9 incompletion from Davey put Donnie Jones deep in LSU territory for his first punt of the afternoon and gave Florida field position inside LSU territory at the 48.

The field position allowed Florida to drive six plays in 2:00 for a 7-yard touchdown to Gaffney. The 40-yard PAT was missed after a Gaffney personal foul and a false start. Florida led 27-9.

LSU took over at its 25 yard line after a offsides penalty on Florida. Jerel Myers caught his first pass of the game to give LSU a first down at the 35-yard line. On third-and-10 from the 35, Davey was sacked and injured.

Florida took over at the 37-yard line, and Grossman went back to work, hitting Caldwell for 24 yards and Walker for 19 to the LSU 17. After a 5-yard penalty for delay, a 13-yard pass to Gaffney to the 7-yard line set up what seemed to be another score. However, Damien James stepped in front of Grossman's pass and ran it back 37 yards out of the endzone.

After one play, Davey exited to the LSU lockerroom to have his knee examined. In his place, Mauck made his first appearance as a Tiger and drove LSU down the field 43 yards. However, Florida stopped LSU on third and fourth-and-1 plays to take over at the 20.

Florida drove the ball down to the LSU 22 before missing a field goal from 39 yards to end the half.

LSU started the second half with Mauck at quarterback. He began by completing an 8-yard pass to Reed and a 24-yarder to Myers two plays later. On third-and-4 from the Florida 40, tight end Robert Royal was guilty of offensive pass interference and LSU had to punt. Jones landed the ball softly at the 4-yard line.

Three plays later, Florida was forced to put after a direct snap to Gillespie earned only two yards on third down.

With its best field position on the afternoon, LSU took over at the Florida 45-yard line. A second-down pass from Mauck to Clayton gave LSU 10 yards and a first down, followed by a 11-yard scramble by Mauck to the 24. On third down, Mauck was intercepted at the 11-yard line by Sheppard.

Florida advanced the ball 33 yards after Gaffney broke a tackle and ran to the 50-yard line. Grossman struck for 16 yards to Taylor and 13 yards to Caldwell. A solid defensive effort kept Florida out of the endzone, but Jeff Chandler hit his first field goal of the day from 42 yards to increase the lead to 30-9.

After an LSU drive ended in Florida territory, the Gators began to attack again. Eighty-seven yards and six plays later, Grossman had his fifth TD pass of the day, this time to Walker for a 37-9 lead. The score was on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Florida capped off a 10-play, 62-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Brock Berlin to Kelvin Kight.

Henderson ran 50 yards off tackle in the final two minutes before Mauck connected with Corey Webster for 19 yards to the Florida 23. Clayton then caught a 22-yard strike from the former baseball pitcher to the Florida 1, and Domanick Davis ran to the right post of the endzone with 42 seconds remaining to complete the scoring. The PAT was again blocked. LSU trailed 44-15.

LSU recovered an on-sides kick at its 46-yard line, but went nowhere as the game ended.

LSU returns to action on Oct. 16 when it travels to Kentucky for the first of two SEC road contests.

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