Tigers blast Florida, 41-11, behind Ware, Blue

The LSU football team may have been playing No. 17 Florida, but reverberating throughout Tiger Stadium was the phrase, "We want 'Bama."

The chant echoed as the final seconds ticked away of top-ranked LSU's 41-11 trumping of the Gators.

Toward the end of the trouncing, LSU fans were evidently looking ahead to the Nov. 5 showdown against the Crimson Tide, but that was only because LSU coach Les Miles and the Tigers were taking care of business against the Gators.

Anchored by the efforts of sophomore running backs Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue, who combined for 179 yards on the ground, the Tigers eclipsed 40 points for the fourth time this season — a mark they only reached three times last season.

"We rushed the football at the back end of the game when we had to to take our opponent out of the game," Miles said. "[Ware] just pounded it in there and kept pounding it in there, and I love the way he gets extra yards and basically works on a defense's resolve to tackle him."

Entering the contest, Florida had the No. 18 rushing defense in the nation, allowing 90.4 yards per game.

LSU rushed the ball 49 times for 238 yards, throwing just 14 times on the day.

Senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson saw his second action of the year when he entered the game in the second quarter, completing his first throw this season to junior wide receiver Russell Shepard for 37 yards.

Jefferson and fellow senior signal-caller Jarrett Lee shared reps, combining for 215 yards through the air.

"Whoever needs to come in and win the football game and make a play, that's what we're doing right now," said Lee, who completed his final six passes to finish 7-of-10 for 154 yards and a touchdown. "We're about winning ball games. If it helps you make a play, if it helps the team, if it helps you win, that's what needs to happen."

After just one reception last week against Kentucky, junior wide receiver Rueben Randle had his biggest outing of the season, reeling in four catches for 127 yards and a touchdown.

"It boosted my confidence up a lot," Randle said. "Last week I was kind of down because I didn't get a lot of balls. Coach [Miles] told me to keep my head in it, and my chance would come this week."

The Mad Hatter reached into his bag of tricks again Saturday, pulling out a jump pass from Jefferson to senior tight end Mitch Joseph ­— a move former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow pulled against the Tigers in 2006.

Freshman punter Brad Wing also ran a 44-yard fake punt into the end zone late in the first quarter. But a taunting motion by Wing as he crossed the five-yard line drew a flag and negated the score, forcing the Tigers to settle for a field goal.

Miles said the call was "absolutely correct," and the Tigers can use the flag as a learning experience.

"What a great lesson it will be to our guys to take points off to celebrate," Miles said. "Are you kidding me? Do I think it was flagrant? It was. Basically it was directed at an opponent, and our team will understand that in a big game, four points is very important."

LSU's No. 5-ranked defense welcomed Florida freshman quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Southeastern Conference with a dominating performance, surrendering just 100 yards through the air, 65 of which came on one play.

Adding to Brissett's troubles was the "Honey Badger," who struck again.

Sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu continued his Heisman campaign with a leaping interception over Florida wide receiver Andre Debose in the end zone, after baiting Brissett to make the throw.

"[Debose] only runs one route, and that's a fly route, so it was really about me just getting my head turned and realizing the route he was running and judging the ball when it came down," Mathieu said. "I definitely tried to let him get in his route and seem like he was open. But he has great speed so I couldn't do too much."

____

Contact Mark Clements at mclements@lsureveille.com