South Georgia football players defeat LSU, 24-23

Published 2:00 pm Monday, September 5, 2022

NEW ORLEANS — South Georgia, including a pair of players out of old Region 2-A led Florida State Sunday night a 24-23 defeat of LSU.

Turner County’s Ontaria Wilson scored two receiving touchdowns and D.J. Lundy (Irwin County) came in for the score that put the Seminoles ahead 24-10. The extra point — kicked by Colquitt County’s Ryan Fitzgerald — turned out to be the winning margin.

LSU scored on the last play of regulation. A successful extra point would have sent the game to overtime, but Florida State blocked it.

The Tigers scored first Sunday on a field goal before Wilson put them ahead early in the 2nd quarter on a 39-yard reception from quarterback Jordan Travis.

Fitzgerald added a short field goal in t he 3rd for a 10-3 advantage. Four minutes later, it was Wilson again on a 27-yard catch from Travis for a 17-3 lead at 4:17.

LSU edged closer, to 17-10, as 3rd quarter ended.

Lundy had been dominant as a running back and linebacker at Irwin, but is listed solely as a linebacker on FSU’s roster. On 2nd-and-goal at the 1, the Seminoles brought him in for extra muscle and the 230-pound Lundy went over the top for the score. It was now 24-10 with 9:04 left.

After LSU scored at 4:07 to come closer at 24-17, each team committed a turnover. Florida State’s was on a botched toss sweep on the goal line. The Tigers recovered at the 1 and went on a 99-yard drive that ended in a touchdown.

However, the kick was blocked, credited by the Associated Press to Shyheim Brown, and FSU left the crowd at the Superdome stunned. Even tougher for the Tigers was that this was the debut of Brian Kelly as head coach after being hired away from Notre Dame last winter.