GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In a fog-shrouded, surreal Senior Night stunner at the Swamp, Florida third-year kicker Evan McPherson missed a 51-yard field goal as time expired during a 37-34 upset loss to LSU.
Moments earlier, Tigers kicker Cade York’s 57-yard field goal cleared the crossbar with 23 seconds remaining to complete a fourth-quarter comeback and give the defending national champions their biggest win of a miserable 2020 season.
York’s game-winning effort followed a bizarre penalty on UF redshirt junior cornerback Marco Wilson in his final home game with the Gators. Wilson was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct with 1:51 remaining when he threw an LSU player’s shoe after a third-down stop by UF appeared to give the Gators a chance to get back the football.
Following York’s kick, Florida quarterback Kyle Trask completed passes of 15 and nine yards to Kadarius Toney and 18 yards to Trevon Grimes to give McPherson his shot to tie the game and give the Gators a chance to win in overtime.
Instead, McPherson missed wide left on a night when the Florida rarely found its footing against 24-point underdog LSU (4-5).
Expected to be the final warm-up for the No. 6 Gators (8-2) before taking on top-ranked Alabama (10-0) during next week’s SEC title game, the Tigers delivered a slap of cold reality to Dan Mullen’s squad and may have undercut Trask’s Heisman campaign.
Trask walked onto the field at the Swamp for the last time greeted by a full-throated ovation as a thank you from fans for a job well done during his final season. Turned out much work remained for the record-setting quarterback and the SEC East winning Gators.
Trask committed three first-half turnovers leading to 10 LSU points, with freshman quarterback Max Johnson making his first college start and a secondary suddenly without three starters, including All-SEC cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who ruled out with injury prior to kickoff.
The Gators were left a bit short handed themselves when the team’s medical staff ruled out star tight end Kyle Pitts due to a lingering injury. Pitts entered the day with a team-leading 11 touchdowns catches and served as Trask’s security blanket.
Trask had shown the ability to spread the wealth to UF’s array of playmakers, especially when Pitts was sidelined for two games last month following a concussion and broken nose suffered Nov. 7 against Georgia.
Yet something was amiss with Trask throughout a disappointing first half that ended with a 24-17 LSU lead and Mullen’s squad heading to the locker room trailing for the first time all season.
The Gators, though, would rally with Trask leading the way.
Two third-quarter touchdowns by Trask — a 1-yard run and a 9-yard pass to Toney — gave the Gators a 31-27 lead. Trask delivered his school record 40th touchdown pass and gave his team a wave of momentum. Toney finished the night with 182 receiving yards and another 56 on the ground, but it was not enough.
LSU answered behind Johnson, son of former Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson, and fog began to shroud Florida Field, making visibility a challenge for fans and players alike.
Despite the dicey conditions, the Tigers followed consecutive three-and-out possessions with a nine-play, 84-yard drive highlighted by a 41-yard catch by freshman Kayshon Boutte and ending with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Tre Bradford, which proved to be the go-ahead score.
