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Florida edge rusher T.J. Searcy (19) forces the fumble by LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) in the second half between the Tigers and the Gators, Saturday, November 16, 2024, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.
STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) and LSU offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (50) dive after a fumbled ball in the second half between the Tigers and the Gators, Saturday, November 16, 2024, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) is walked off the field after being sacked late in the second half between the Tigers and the Gators, Saturday, November 16, 2024, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.
Florida won 27-16. STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) leaves the field after Florida defeated the Tigers 27-16, Saturday, November 16, 2024, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save In its first nine games of the season, LSU allowed just six sacks.
Only three FBS teams gave up fewer. But on Saturday in its 27-16 road loss to Florida alone, LSU allowed seven sacks. The No.
22 Tigers (6-4) managed to overcome a chunk of those negative plays. But quarterback Garrett Nussmeier faced pressure far more often than he has all season, a fact that prevented LSU from finding a consistent rhythm on offense. “We're concerned to the point where we want to keep our quarterback clean,” coach Brian Kelly said, “but we have to look at it in its entirety.
Did the ball come out when it needed to? Did we protect the way we needed to?” After one of the sacks, Nussmeier grabbed his throwing arm in clear pain. After another, he held his left side. Florida’s sixth sack forced the redshirt junior to the sideline, where he appeared to undergo a concussion evaluation before returning to the game.
And its seventh sealed the win for good, preventing the Tigers from pulling off what would’ve been a miraculous comeback in the game’s waning minutes. Two of the seven sacks resulted in fumbles. LSU was fortunate to recover the first, a potential third-quarter turnover that would’ve set up Florida inside the 10-yard line had left guard Paul Mubenga not jumped on the ball.
But the Tigers were less lucky on the second mistake, a fumble that right tackle Emery Jones scooped up but dropped after trying to run with it, giving the Gators (5-5) an extra possession late in the third. Nussmeier completed 27 of his 47 pass attempts for 260 yards and one touchdown. He helped LSU convert 13 of its 24 third downs, and two of its four fourth downs.
But too many LSU drives stalled shy of the end zone for the Tigers to keep pace with Florida’s offense. The Tigers committed only three penalties, and each came after they had driven inside the Gators’ 40-yard line. Late in the fourth quarter, Jones committed a false start on a first down at the Florida 21-yard line.
LSU would’ve tied the game had that drive ended in a touchdown, but instead it settled for a field goal — its fourth attempt of the game. Mubenga, a redshirt freshman, started at left guard in place of Garrett Dellinger, a senior who sat his second straight game to recover from the high ankle sprain he suffered in LSU’s Oct. 26 loss to Texas A&M.
“Anytime the quarterback gets knocked down,” Kelly said, “everyone's gonna have to look at what did we do and what can we do better.”.
