No. 11 Florida pounds out win against No. 3 LSU

• Florida now has four wins in the SEC as part of its 5-0 start
• LSU was shutout in the second half after taking a 6-0 lead
• Florida's MIke Gillislee had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida is 5-0 and the Gators can be thankful for the replay system in college football.

On third-and-8 from his own 20 with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter, LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger lofted an apparent 56-yard completion to Odell Beckham Jr. It would have put the Tigers, at worst, in position to kick the go-ahead field goal.

Instead, Florida safety Matt Elam ripped the ball out of Beckham's hands on the way to the ground. At first the play was ruled dead and LSU still had the ball. But after the play was reviewed the ball was given to the Gators at their own 23.

Mike Gillislee then took over the game, carrying the ball six times for 47 yards as the Gators went 77 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown that clinched a 14-6 victory.

That's how it finished in a upset that changed the complexion of the Southeastern Conference race. LSU went unbeaten in the regular season and won the SEC title a year ago and had won 18 consecutive regular season games.

"I felt like I had to make a play,'' said Elam, who wore pink accessories in honor of his sister, who was at the game and has been battling breast cancer. "My plan was to stop him from getting in the end zone. More came out of it, thank God for that.''

Gators coach Will Muschamp said coaches in the press box were telling him to stop play and get the officials to review the play, certain it would be overturned.

"I couldn't describe in words to be honest with you,'' Muschamp said of his range of emotions on the play. "You go up and down. The guys in the box told me it was a fumble. They said, 'Will, hold on, don't let them snap it.' And obviously LSU knew, they were running to the ball, which an excellent football team does. They're trying to get the ball snapped for the next play. I just told the official on our sideline, don't let 'em snap it, I'm calling time out if I have to.'''

The officials stopped it, changed the call, and changed the future for both teams.

Florida had not given up a point in the fourth quarter this season, outscoring opponents 34-0 going into the game. The Gators kept the streak after being outscored 72-22 in SEC games in the final 15 minutes last year.

"That's something they know about,'' Muschamp said of his team. "They've had it pounded in their heads.''

LSU was 0-for-9 on third down conversion attempts before Mettenberger's 20-yard completion moved the ball to his own 37 early in the fourth quarter.

Gillislee went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the third time this season while setting career high 34 carries for 146 yards, two shy of his career mark. He finished the clutch drive after the fumble was overturned with his seventh TD of the season -- and second of the game.

"We never lacked our swag,'' Gillislee said. "A lot of people doubted us. I thought our swag never left.''

He carried the ball on almost every play of Florida's final two offensive possessions.

"He's a quality player,'' LSU coach Les Miles said. "I watched him run before we played him. He's a quality guy.''

It was the first time the Gators beat a team ranked in the top 10 at Florida Field since a 51-21 win against LSU on Oct. 11, 2008. The Gators were also able to shake off a ghost from the past two seasons -- going 1-8 in October in 2011 and 2010.

Florida got a huge first down on a 6-yard run by quarterback Jeff Driskel with less than two minutes to play. An LSU personal foul gave the Gators another first down, at their own 43 with 1:40 to play.

LSU never really had a chance to make a play after that, getting the ball in the final seconds.

"We made some adjustments in the second half,'' Muschamp said. "We felt like the running game was there. We just had to be patient with it.''

Florida trailed at the half but actually played LSU even in the first 30 minutes. Two mistakes on offense killed the Gators' best scoring chance and led to the Tigers' second field goal in a 6-0 contest the break.

The Gators came into the game with one lost fumble all season. They lost two in a four-minute period late in the opening half.

LSU took the game's opening kickoff and marched 64 yards in 10 plays, getting a 31-yard field from Drew Alleman to go up 3-0 at the 10:48 mark.

Mettenberger completed all four of his pass attempts in the drive for 48 yards. The Gators helped the Tigers' cause with a personal foul to give LSU a first down at Florida's 47.

The Gators managed just 24 yards and two first downs in the first quarter. It got worse in the early part of the second, with two more sacks of Driskel ending two more drives.

Florida's Jaylen Watkins picked up his second interception of the season to give the Gators the ball at the Tigers' 38. Mettenberger had thrown just two interceptions in the Tigers' first five games.

The Gators got to the LSU 33 after a 5-yard Gillislee run on first down. But Driskel was dropped twice by LSU linemen. Florida came into the game ranked last in the SEC, giving up 11 sacks in its first three league games. The five in the first half gave the Gators a total of 17 allowed -- six short of their entire total a year ago.

"We knew we'd be challenged by their defense,'' said Driskel, who threw just four passes in the second half -- completing three. "We felt like we had playmakers all over the field and we just had to get the ball to them.''

Punter Kyle Christie, however, was outstanding at keeping the Tigers pinned deep in their own territory - including a season-high 61-yard punt.

Florida mounted its best drive of the opening half midway through the second quarter, starting at its own 29 and marching to the LSU 22. But on second-and-10, Frankie Hammond caught a short pass and Tigers' Kevin Minter, who had 10 tackles in the first half, knocked the ball loose. LSU's Kwon Alexander returned it to the 40 to ruin the UF scoring attempt at the 6:05 mark.

The Gators' second huge mistake in the opening half came with 2:02 to go. Driskel was hit while scrambling and coughed up the ball, and LSU's Barkevious Mingo fell on it at the Florida 7. Spencer Ware gained three yards on first down but Mettenberger had to throw away the ball on second. On third down, Terrence Magee was stopped at the line and Alleman connected from 21 yards out with 24 seconds left before halftime.

The teams managed just a combined 128 yards in the first half. Both totals, however, took severe hits because the teams had a combined eight sacks in the first two quarters.