Breakout performance: Dashawn Spears was the star of the show against Florida

Take a bow, Dashawn Spears.

No. 3 LSU defeated Florida by a score of 20-10 on Saturday night in Death Valley thanks to another impressive performance from the defense. The Tigers had the Gator offense in shambles all night long, and Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is going to have nightmares of his first visit to Death Valley. In total, LSU picked off Lagway five times, and held Florida to just 10 points and 79 rushing yards.

Most notably, Dashawn Spears stole the show. Spears collected two interceptions on the night, with one coming in the form of a 58-yard pick six. It was a breakout performance for the sophomore safety, who made the most of his opportunities on Saturday night.

Dashawn Spears shines against Florida

With LSU trailing 3-0 about halfway through the first quarter, Spears made a great play on the ball to pick off Lagway and record his first career interception. After a slow start on offense, the play gave LSU some much-needed momentum.

But Spears wasn't done. With LSU up 13-10 in the third quarter, the Denham Springs native made a game-breaking play with an electric 58-yard pick six. Spears showed great instincts by reading Lagway's eyes the whole play to jump the slant route for the easy interception. The play sent Tiger Stadium into a massive eruption, and gave LSU a ten-point lead that proved to be more than enough.

Spears, the former No. 1 safety in Louisiana and a four-star prospect, doesn't start in LSU's secondary, but he certainly made the most of his opportunities on Saturday night. Spears appeared in 13 games last season with three starts, recording 24 tackles (13 solo) and one PBU.

In a deep defensive backfield that also features Mansoor Delane, DJ Pickett, AJ Haulcy, and Tamarcus Cooley, this LSU defense is going to continue being a problem for opponents throughout the season. Pickett, Haulcy, and Cooley also had interceptions on Saturday night.