LSU Defense Shines with Five Interceptions in Win Over Florida

BATON ROUGE, La - No. 3 LSU’s defense delivered another statement performance under the lights Saturday night, intercepting Florida quarterback DJ Lagway five times in a 20-10 victory at Tiger Stadium. The win pushed LSU to 3-0, thanks largely to a defense that is quickly becoming the team’s identity.

The Tigers’ offense sputtered out of the gate, going three-and-out on its first three possessions and continuing to struggle in the run game. To make matters worse, LSU lost star linebacker Whit Weeks in the first quarter to a targeting penalty. But instead of folding, the defense took control.

Dashawn Spears set the tone with a first-quarter interception near midfield that ended a promising Gators drive. From there, LSU tightened the clamps. Florida crossed into LSU territory three times in the second half, only for Lagway to be intercepted each trip. By night’s end, Lagway became the first Florida quarterback since Shane Matthews in 1992 to throw five interceptions in a game.

It was the second time this season LSU pitched a second-half shutout, repeating the feat it pulled off in Week 1 against Clemson. Those performances have turned the spotlight on a defensive unit that is carrying the Tigers through early-season offensive struggles.

While the offense still has plenty to fix, LSU’s defensive resurgence has the Tigers looking like an early contender for the SEC crown. Next up is an in-state matchup with Southeastern Louisiana before the Tigers dive back into SEC play against Ole Miss.

For Florida, the loss drops Billy Napier’s squad to 1-2, a troubling start to what already looked like a critical year for the fourth-year head coach. Saturday’s setback was just the beginning of a punishing SEC slate for the Gators.