Cajuns Fall Short In Upset Bid over Gators

Gainesville,Fla.- Florida's Jelani Jenkins ran back a blocked punt by teammate Loucheiz Purifoy back 36 yards for a touchdown to complete the Gators (#6) come back win over Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns.

Trailing 20-13 with 2:56 left in the fourth quarter and starting quarterback Jeff Driskel in the locker room with an ankle injury, Florida went 49 yards to tie the game. Backup Jacoby Brissett hit tight end Jordan Reed for a 39 yard gain to the three and found Quinton Dunbar in the right corner of the end zone for the touchdown. Caleb Sturgis' point-after tied at 20 with 1:42 left.

Louisiana (5-4) then played conservative to try to run the clock out and play overtime. But there were just enough seconds to save Florida.

But it was a tense second half.

The Ragin' Cajuns' Bradley Brown -- who is a Baton Rouge native -- blocked a Kyle Christy punt and Blake Comminie returned it 22 yards for a touchdown that put Louisiana ahead 17-13 with 4:03 left in the third quarter. The Gators, after allowing just 20 points in the second half all season, gave up 14 in the first 11 minutes of the third quarter on Saturday.

It was the Cajuns' first blocked punt of the season and the first one the Gators allowed.

Louisiana then drove 77 yards in 12 plays to add a Baer field goal from 22 yards out to make it 20-13 with 13:11 left in the game.

Trailing 20-13 with 2:56 left and Driskel (98 yards passing and 76 rushing on the day) in the locker room, Florida went 49 yards to tie the game.

Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett hit tight end Jordan Reed for a 39-yard gain to the 3-yard line and found Quinton Dunbar in the right corner of the end zone for the touchdown. Caleb Sturgis' point-after tied it at 20 with 1:42 left.

"Man down, man up,'' Muschamp said. "We've said that all season. Give (Brissett) credit for making the throws."

Brissett completed six of eight throws for 64 yards in his relief stint. Muschamp said Driskel only has a sprain but won't know the severity until later, so Brissett could get another start next week against Jacksonville State.

"The saying, 'One snap away,' is real,'' Brissett said."

"Give them credit for doing it right and making something happen," Ragin Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth said. "That's what great football teams do."

"We fought and we believed,'' said UL quarterback Terrance Broadway, who finished 16 of 23 for 171 yards. "I told the team after the game, 'I'm really proud of you all.' I am just happy to be a part of this team. We fought our butts off."

The Gators, after allowing just 20 points in the second half all season, gave up 14 in the first 11 minutes of the third quarter Saturday.

"We made some big plays when we had to, but didn't make a big play, the biggest play when we needed to and let that one sort of get away,'' Hudspeth said. "I felt like we had a legitimate chance to win a game when we were up and then they got the score (to tie). To be honest with you I thought we were in good enough of a position to put the game into overtime, then who knows what happens when you get into overtime."