Everyone is paying attention to the Florida vs LSU lines, waiting to see how the
health of Gators’ star Tim Tebow affect the betting spread for this massive SEC
showdown that takes place on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium, as known as Death
Valley. These two have won the last three national championships and four of
the last six overall. Here’s a look back at their last five meetings, three of
which was well worth the price per head for fans who went to the games.
1) Tigers get Swamped
– 2008
Last year’s matchup was a beating, as the then-No.11 Gators
racked up 265 rushing yards en route to a 51-21 mauling of the then-No.4 Tigers
in Gainesville at “The Swamp”. Jeff Demps had 129 yards on just 10 carries,
while Tebow had 210 passing yards and a pair of scores, along with a rushing
touchdown.
2) “The Greatest Game
Ever Played” – 2007
In the run-up to this game, LSU fans got Tebow’s phone
number and flooded him with calls the night before the game. When Tebow scored
in the second quarter, he made a telephone gesture to the LSU fans at Death
Valley. But the Tigers fought back from a 17-7 halftime deficit in this clash
of unranked teams, and LSU ran for 247 yards in a 28-24 win, en route to their
second BCS championship since 2003.
3) Tebow introduces
himself to the Florida faithful – 2006
Before Tebow was an offshore
sportsbook favorite for the Heisman, he was a freshman pivot sharing time
with senior Chris Leak, who was much more of a passer. But it was Tebow who threw
for touchdowns on his only two pass attempts in a 23-10 win over the Tigers,
and he also ran for one as well. The Gators went on to win the BCS title.
4) Addai carries LSU
at Death Valley – 2005
In a hard-hitting game at Tiger Stadium that featured 21
penalties for both teams, the difference was a 3-yard run by Joseph Addai, who
ended the day with 156 yards on the ground. Somehow, the Tigers managed to
overcome a whopping five turnovers in their 21-17 victory, while not forcing a
single one out of the Gators. Still, with future NFL picks such as Addai,
JaMarcus Russell and Dwayne Bowe on the squad, LSU pulled it out.
5) Tigers shock
Gators with comeback – 2004
In another wild meeting in which the Tigers committed three
turnovers, they fought back with ball control as they held the pigskin for over
36 minutes. Marcus Randall replaced the ineffective JaMarcus Russell, who threw
two picks, and brought the Tigers back from a 21-7 deficit to beat the Gators
24-21 in “The Swamp”. Randell threw two touchdowns, including one of four yards
to Addai with 27 seconds remaining on the clock.
Honorable mention:
LSU beats a No.1 team for the first time when they upset the Gators at Death
Valley. LSU won as a 14-point underdog at home, making some sports picks
look really bad.