There was no Les Miles magic against Florida this time.
LSU couldn’t overcome yet another woeful offensive performance, and Florida running back Mike Gillislee gashed the Tigers for 146 yards en route to a 14-6 win Saturday in Gainesville, Fla.
The Tigers recorded only five first downs without the aid of penalties and couldn’t overcome three turnovers and eight costly penalties in a defensive slugfest.
LSU led 6-0 at halftime, but Florida put together two second-half touchdown drives to clinch its first 5-0 start since Tim Tebow donned the orange and blue.
Gillislee was the Gator the Tigers had no answer for down the stretch.
After gaining only 34 yards in the opening half, Gillislee gashed a tired LSU defense for 112 second-half yards and scored both Florida touchdowns.
Florida held the ball for more than 37 minutes and earned 16 second-half first downs, wearing out a Tiger defensive line that was so ferocious early.
Spurred by linebacker Kevin Minter, LSU held the Gators to 47 yards in the first half and beat up Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel to the tune of five sacks.
But Florida and offensive coordinator Brent Pease largely took the ball out of Driskel’s hand after halftime and let LSU implode.
The Tigers went more than 40 minutes without gaining a first down sans the aid of penalty. Odell Beckham Jr. fumbled after a 56-yard catch with LSU trailing 7-6 late in the third quarter.
LSU opened the game with a 10-play, 64-yard drive, capped by a 31-yard Drew Alleman field goal. The Tigers only other points came courtesy of a fumble that defensive tackle Bennie Logan forced deep in Florida territory late in the first half.
LSU tallied just 203 yards of total offense, including a measly 42 from its vaunted rushing attack. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger finished 11-of-25 for 161 yards with an interception.
With the loss, LSU drops to 5-1 and 1-1 in the SEC. It was the Tigers first regular-season defeat since falling to Arkansas in November 2010.