LSU and Florida were tied late in the fourth quarter with just two minutes left, playing in thick fog. Facing third and long, LSU hit their tight end for a clutch gain, but the play quickly went off the rails. A Florida defender, number three, tackled the receiver and then grabbed his shoe and launched it 20-plus yards down the field. That bizarre move came after the play ended, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Instead of forcing fourth down, LSU got a fresh set of downs and moved into field goal range.
Florida’s bench and players were stunned. Number three sat on the sideline processing what he’d done while teammates realized how costly the mistake was. The officials made it clear: a flag for throwing an opponent’s shoe. LSU’s kicker, number 36, then nailed a tough field goal under the fog to take the lead. Florida got its chance to answer, but their kicker missed the game-tying attempt wide. That sealed the game for LSU. One unnecessary shoe toss flipped a tight game. Florida’s shot at a comeback slipped away, and number three had plenty of time on the bench to think about why he threw the shoe in the first place.