Gators Grind It Out and Stay on Top

No. 1 Florida Stymies LSU; Iowa Stays Perfect With Win Over Michigan

Lost last week amid the scrutiny that followed Florida Coach Urban Meyer's decision whether to play 2007 Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow, who was recovering from his first career concussion, was the ace Meyer held in his pocket: The Gators possess one of the stingiest defenses in the nation.

So, yes, Tebow was medically cleared to compete Saturday night at No. 4 Louisiana State, and yes, Meyer did elect to start Tebow, a senior, over backup John Brantley, a redshirt sophomore. And while Tebow did not turn in one of the most sterling performances of his storied collegiate career, it didn't really matter. The Florida defense emasculated LSU's offense and enabled the top-ranked Gators to escape Tiger Stadium with a 13-3 victory.

Florida sacked LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson five times, held the Tigers to 162 total yards and allowed them to convert on 1 of 9 third-down attempts. A Gators defense that returned all 11 starters from last year's national championship-winning squad has allowed two touchdowns in five games this season.

Meyer told reporters afterward that Florida's offense was "somewhat conservative" in an effort to protect Tebow. On Saturday night, the Gators tallied the lowest winning point total of Meyer's five-year tenure in Gainesville. Tebow threw for 134 yards on 11-of-16 passing with a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed 17 times for 38 yards.

"We knew Tim would suit up, but we didn't know if he would play, but we didn't care," Florida safety Will Hill told reporters. "The defense knew what we had to do to come out and win this game."

That LSU's offense proved no match for Florida's defense could have been foreseen. The Tigers entered the contest last in the Southeastern Conference in total offense. The Gators, meantime, came in No. 1 in the nation in total and scoring defense. Still, the opportunities missed by LSU were too abundant for Tigers Coach Les Miles to accept.

"Three points on offense," Miles told reporters. "We just got to play better."

Another team that benefited from a stout showing by its defense was Iowa, which, with a 30-28 win over Michigan on Saturday night, is off to its best start (6-0) since 1985. The Hawkeyes, now ranked 11th, forced five turnovers against the Wolverines, including an interception with less than a minute remaining to seal the victory.

Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez replaced starting quarterback Tate Forcier with Denard Robinson in the fourth quarter, and while Robinson did lead the Wolverines on a scoring drive, he also committed Michigan's final turnover of the night.

"We knew he wasn't a good passer, but he was coming in to run the ball," Iowa linebacker Jeremiah Hunter told reporters. "When he did throw the ball, we did get the pick."

Iowa has won its four home games this season by a total of 16 points.