Blocked punt with 2 seconds left wins it for No. 6 Gators
Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel tries to go through the middle of the line but is stopped short during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Louisiana-Lafayette in Gainesville, Fla. . Florida won 27-20. (Nov. 10, 2012) Credit: AP
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Jelani Jenkins returned a blocked punt 36 yards for a touchdown with 2 seconds remaining, giving No. 6 Florida a 27-20 comeback victory over Louisiana-Lafayette yesterday.
The Gators (9-1) did little on offense most of the day and looked to be in big trouble when quarterback Jeff Driskel left the game with an ankle injury.
The Rajin' Cajuns (5-4) led 20-13 with 13:11 to go, built on Alonzo Harris' 2-yard run midway through the third quarter and a blocked punt for a touchdown with 4:03 left in the third.
But Florida backup Jacoby Brissett rallied the Gators. He found tight end Jordan Reed down the middle for a 39-yard gain, then hit Quinton Dunbar for a 3-yard score with 1:42 left.
ULL tried to run out the clock to get to overtime but with 13 seconds left at its own 34, Loucheiz Purifoy, one of Florida's fastest players, sprinted off the edge and got his right hand on Brett Baer's punt. Jenkins picked up the deflection and went untouched for the winning score with 2 seconds left.
Louisiana-Lafayette, from the Sun Belt Conference, was a 27-point underdog, and was paid $950,000 to be Florida's homecoming opponent.
Florida was flagged 10 times for 79 yards, including two costly ones on ULL's lone touchdown drive. Lerentee McCray was penalized for being offside on a third-down play that likely would have forced a punt, and Purifoy was called for pass interference on another third-down pass.
Those came on the heels of Clay Burton's dropped pass in the end zone. Reed got the ball on an end around and floated it to the sideline, but Burton couldn't haul it in, and Florida settled for a field goal and a 13-3 lead.
