We were outplayed and outcoached. I was bummed after the Auburn loss, but generally happy with our effort. This time I just feel sick. While Florida deserves plenty of credit, we certainly made life easy for them. 5 turnovers, including one at the goal line after a 17 play drive. A defense that folded on a length-of-the-field drive going into the half that gave them a 14-7 lead and momentum, when even marginal execution on our part would have reversed that. I've been a Les Miles supporter this year, but this was just a god awful performance.
Special teams play was indescribably bad. An illegal formation penalty on a punt, which has plagued this team out of that odd two-level punt formation, negated a punt that was downed at the 1; a shanked punt followed, for a net 27 yard gain for UF. A muffed punt by Chevis Jackson that enabled Florida to get right back into it after we scored to go up 7-0 and had completed a great defensive stand. A muff/fumble on the opening kickoff to the second half that resulted in a safety. A blocked punt on our first drive of the second half.
Playcalling was absurd. Down 16 in the 3rd quarter and we kept trying to run the ball; meanwhile the star running back we thought we had - Charles Scott - curiously never saw the field. Where the short passing game that began to work effectively in the fourth quarter had been the rest of the game is beyond me.
JaMarcus just wasn't on. Followed the goal line fumble with the poor decision to throw it deep to LaFell in double coverage; that ball got picked. Florida answered with a TD to close out the half, sparked by a 3rd-and-15 conversion early in the drive in which LaRon Landry missed a sure tackle in an effort to get a huge hit. His second pick wasn't his fault after a Florida DB popped it up out of Dwayne Bowe's hands. His third, however, was well behind Bowe and killed our last chance at a comeback. Russell will leave LSU having never accomplished much of anything at the Swamp.
Till today, it seemed most of the questions about this team had been answered pretty well this season (with the exception of a running game). Now that's all up in the air, with another huge one that will hang over this team until Les wins an SEC title - whether he can ever coach this team to victory in a big SEC game. Right now the answer certainly appears to be no.