BATON ROUGE, La. -- Forget the fire hose of bad blood spilled in the LSU-Florida rivalry over the last six weeks, the fallout from a critical game being postponed by a hurricane and moved out of The Swamp to Tiger Stadium 600 miles away.

Forget all the huffing and puffing in pre-game warm-ups that prompted LSU's injured running back Leonard Fournette to rip off his sweats and strap on his battle gear.

The actual game Saturday came down to one yard with no time left on the clock, and for LSU, it was one yard too far.

No. 23 Florida stuffed LSU running back Derrius Guice mid-leap in his bid for the winning 1-yard touchdown Saturday at Tiger Stadium -- Guice, incredibly, went the wrong way -- and the Gators' impressive goal-line stand preserved a 16-10 victory and the SEC East Division title.

"This is just a credit to the program, the organization and the people that believe," Florida coach Jim McElwain said. "It's no small feat to go to that championship game back to back. The way we look at it, this was actually supposed to be a home game, so we'll end the season undefeated in The Swamp."

Florida improved to 8-2 overall and 6-2 in the SEC, good enough for a ticket to the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 3 in Atlanta.

Trailing 16-10 with 3:24 left, No. 16 LSU had moved smartly, 74 yards to the Florida 1, with a huge assist from quarterback Danny Etling, who completed a 30-yard pass to receiver D.J. Chark on fourth-and-10 to the Florida 18.

Etling picked up another first down with a 6-yard pass to Malachi Dupre, giving the Tigers (6-4, 4-3) a first-and-goal at the Florida 7.

Guice gained two yards on first down and then carried several Gator tacklers with him for four yards to the Florida 1. On third down, LSU lined up in the I-formation, and Etling handed the ball to fullback J.D. Moore, who was stuffed by nose tackle Cece Jefferson.

LSU called its final timeout with three seconds left. On the fourth-down play from the 1, Guice was supposed to follow Moore's block to the left, and replays showed he probably would have waltzed in.

But he took the skinny pitch and went right instead, and defensive back Marcel Harris knocked the ball loose as Guice tried to extend his hand over the goal-line. LSU tight end Foster Moreau recovered the ball, but he was short of the end zone.

"The back (Guice) went the wrong way," said LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron, who probably needed a victory to have a chance to be considered for the full-time job next year. "We had a short little toss called, and although he made a good effort, it just wasn't executed right.

McElwain said the Florida defensive wall -- nine players lined up across the line of scrimmage with two safeties roaming just behind LSU's tight formation -- created the advantage.

"We got underneath their pads," McElwain said. "Our linebackers ... came up big again. I think the stop before that on the fullback was even bigger."

LSU trailed 16-10 when Florida kicker Eddy Pineiro kicked a 34-yard field goal with 3:24 remaining. Pineiro also kicked 26-yard field goal earlier in the fourth quarter to give Florida a 13-10 lead with 4:37 left.

LSU had dominated statistically -- it finished with a 423-270 edge in total offense) -- but it took Florida just one play to strike big. Quarterback Austin Appleby threw out of his end zone and connected with Tyrie Cleveland for a 98-yard strike to take a 10-7 lead midway through the third quarter.

Cleveland was isolated against cornerback Donte Jackson but he leapt, twisted away from the attempted tackle and raced the rest of the way.

"We knew Tyrie could run by the guy," McElwain said. "We knew that early."

Cleveland's touchdown came immediately after LSU had driven 73 yards to the Florida 1 but had to settle for a 19-yard field goal attempt. The field goal never got off, however, because holder Josh Growden, the LSU punter, fumbled the snap and tried a desperation pass into the end zone that fell incomplete.

"We just shot ourselves in the foot," Orgeron said. "We had opportunities in the red zone and we didn't convert.

Other than the 1-yard touchdown run by Guice on LSU's opening drive, LSU had four first-and-goal situations inside the Florida 10 and came away with just three points -- a 22-yard field goal by Colby Delahoussaye that tied the game in the fourth quarter.

The other three first-and-goals ended with a Guice fumble (LSU was leading 7-3 early in the second quarter), the botched field goal attempt and the final play of the game.

"I thought (Guice's second-quarter fumble) was the difference in the game," Orgeron said. "We're up seven and have a chance to go up 14-3 with the great defense we have. We just couldn't get it done."

McElwain gloated in victory, chiding the LSU fans who accused Florida of purposely trying to postpone the October game became the Gators were banged up.

"It just shocks me that somebody would question the Gators," McElwain said. "The way I look at it, they got what they deserved, and it should have been worse."

NOTES: The hard feelings before the game about the original postponement from Oct. 8 seemed to bubble over onto the field even in pre-game warm-ups. LSU RB Leonard Fournette, decked out in sweats and apparently not slated to play because of a bad ankle, got into a shoving match with Florida defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. When LSU emerged for the kickoff, Fournette was in full gear. ... Asked if there is a timetable for naming a new head coach, LSU AD Joe Alleva said "I'm more concerned with getting it right." ... LSU LB Kendall Beckwith left with a left knee injury late in the first quarter.