end after considering all the evidence and taking into accountt the margin we

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Florida coach Jim McElwain watched his Gators overcome injuries, an extra road game and repeated adversity in the shadow of their own goal line. That should be valuable experience for a feisty football team thatll face long odds again when it meets top-ranked Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game in a couple weeks.Floridas defense stuffed LSUs Derrius Guice on a do-or-die run from the 1-yard line in the final seconds, and the No. 21 Gators held on for a tension-filled 16-10 victory that clinched the Southeastern Conference East Division on Saturday.I cant tell you how proud I am of our players and our staff, and Im happy for our Gator fans who dont think were very good, but all we do is end up back in Atlanta, said McElwain, whose Gators (8-2, 6-2 SEC, No. 23 CFP) also won the SEC East last year.The final play capped a defensive struggle in which No. 16 LSU converted a fourth-and-10 play on its final drive, only to get stopped on back-to-back runs from the 1 to end the game. Fullback J.D. Moore came up short on third down.Florida quarterback Austin Appleby completed only seven passes on 17 attempts, but one of his connections went for a pivotal 98-yard touchdown to Tyrie Cleveland. Eddy Piniero scored the rest of Floridas points on field goals of 36, 24 and 34 yards.LSU (6-4, 4-3 SEC, No. 16 CFP) controlled most of the game and held statistical advantages, outgaining Florida 423 yards to 270 and holding possession for 34:02. LSU also led 7-0 after Guices early 1-yard touchdown.But on three occasions, the Tigers failed to score after driving inside Floridas 10 -- the first time because of Guices fumble in the first half and the second time because of a botched field goal in the third quarter. LSUs lone field goal came three failed plays after the Tigers had a first-and-goal from the 4.We just shot ourselves in the foot. We had a lot of opportunities, said LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron , whose prospects of keeping the job long term werent helped by the result.Had the Tigers, who came in as two-touchdown favorites, converted a few more of those opportunities, theyd still be in good shape to get the SECs Sugar Bowl bid.Not anymore.THE TAKEAWAYFlorida: Missing a handful of starters, the Gators played with a lot of heart and relied heavily on their elite defense to pull off the upset.LSU: The Tigers two turnovers and botched field goal turned what could have been a fairly comfortable victory into a losing struggle.VINDICATIONMcElwain sounded eager to revisit questions about whether his program tried to dodge the Tigers when the original game in Florida was postponed by Hurricane Matthew in early October. Florida balked at initial offers to move the game to LSU as the storm approached, or to play at home one or two days after the originally scheduled time. That left the SEC little choice but to postpone the game until both teams could buy out non-league opponents. But LSU refused to give up a home game, forcing Florida to travel if it wanted a shot to play for a conference title.The way I look at it, they got what they deserved -- and it should have been worse, McElwain said.Florida cornerback Jalen Tabor mocked Floridas critics by making light of the matter.We didnt have no courage, he said. I guess out of fear we fought back.TOUGH DAYLSU starting defensive back Donte Jackson was in coverage on Applebys long scoring pass down the right sideline to Cleveland, who then escaped Jacksons grasp after the catch near midfield. After LSU went down 13-10 in the fourth quarter, Jackson fumbled a kickoff return by running into his own teammate, setting up Floridas final field goal.INJURIESLSU lost a key defender in the first half when middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith needed help off the field. He spent the rest of the game on the sideline with his left knee heavily wrapped. LSU star running back Leonard Fournette, who played despite being banged up last week, came out of the game for good after being stopped short on a third-and-goal play in the second half.EMOTIONAL FLARE-UPThe two teams scuffled near the middle of the field about an hour before kickoff. Several people viewing warmups captured video they posted on social media. It was mostly yelling and shoving as coaches and police working security converged quickly to break it up. Some players also acted as peacemakers. One video captured Fournette pushing Florida defensive backs coach Torrian Gray away from a cluster of LSU players and coaches.POLL IMPLICATIONSFlorida is likely to climb back into the Top 20. LSU might not fall out of the poll , but will be punished for its squandered opportunities.UP NEXTFlorida: The Gators renew their non-conference rivalry with Florida State in Tallahassee.LSU: The Tigers visit Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 . NFL Jerseys Wholesale . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. Discount NFL Jerseys 2020 . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. https://www.nfljerseys2020.com/ . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Wholesale NFL Jerseys 2020 . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Stewards have deliberated for more than 10 minutes before dismissing a protest at Eagle Farm, saying it was a close call.Robbie Fradd, who rode $2.50 favourite Mark My Word to second in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1300m).at Eagle Farm on Wednesday fired in a protest against Jim Byrne on the winner Tempete Rogue ($6).The margin between the pair was a long head.Panel chairman Martn Knibbs said the decision to dismiss the protest was by the barest of margins.Fradd told the inquiry Mark My Word had moved up to the leaders in the final 200m and his mount came together with Tempete Rouge, who was leading.Tempete Rouge has then moved out into me and it cost me the win, Fradd said.However, Byrne argued that Mark My Word made the first contact when he had clipped his horses hindquarters which forced his horse to run out.When a horse clips another horses hindquarter there is only one way to go and that is to the left Byrne said.Knibbs said stewards obviously felt it was close.You can see from the length of time we have deliberated that it was very close, he said.But in the end after considering all the evidence and taking into accountt the margin we dismiss the protest.ddddddddddddApprentice Cassie Schmidt continued her run with trainer Barry Baldwin with a double on Motion Granted ($6) and Confronting ($5) at the meeting.Schmidt has had 11 rides for Baldwin this season and ridden six winners.Cassie is very experienced apprentice and she still has a claim which is an advantage, Baldwin said.Baldwins disappointment at missing a barrier trial with Motion Granted was replaced with a smile when the gelding won the Class 2 (1000m).I was going to run him in a trial but it was washed out. I decided to run him in todays race instead. As it turned out this was a $13,000 first prize barrier trial, Baldwin said.Mackay trainer Olivia Cairns decision to bring Khadija as a travelling mate for her top sprinter Sporting Page also proved a winner.Khadija ($11) won the Maiden Plate (2200m) by three lengths.Sporting Page needs a travelling companion for the trip from Mackay and Khadija has shown she can stay in benchmark races in Rockhampton, Cairns said. ' ' '