GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Anytime your marching band has to issue an apology for its visit to hostile territory, you know it’s Rivalry On.

Especially if it’s just the smaller pep band that made the trip.

These things normally play out on social media these days, so LSU’s depleted Golden Band from Tigerland was there bright and early on Facebook Sunday morning, carefully wording a mea culpa after its tubas and saxophones barged into a long-stranding Florida tradition between the third and fourth quarters and  drummed all over it with an LSU musical tradition of its own.

Normally, you see, the visitors defer to the host’s traditions in these delicate matters. They’ve spent years negotiating these accords with high level diplomats.

Saturday it all fell apart.

The LSU band put a damper not only on the singing of “We Are the Boys from Old Florida,” but threatened a tribute to Gainesville favorite son Tom Petty, the famed rocker who died last week.

“At no time was it the intentions of Tiger Band to disrespect or interrupt a tribute of someone we consider a musical icon and apologize to anyone thinking this was the case,” read the Facebook apology.

Intentionally or not, it caused quite a ruckus, with booing louder even than the several officials’ calls the Gators’ fans took issue with. Let’s just say the LSU band was lucky to get out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium alive.

For that matter, after the Tigers held on for a gutsy 17-16 victory, the LSU players “tribute” to the same fans was not something destined for a chapter of “Profiles in Sportsmanship.”

Which is great. LSU-Florida wouldn’t have it any other way. Maybe it’s just the final spark this annual game needed to make people quit wondering if they need to play it every year.

Where else are you going to find entertainment like this: Afterwards, LSU punter Zach Von Rosenberg — the punter — taunted the Gators by reprising the signature line from last year’s UF victory when he took to You Tube to announce of the Gators that “They got just what they deserved.”

If you’re thinking they need more adult supervision, Von Rosenberg is 27 and he stole the line from Florida full-grown head coach Jim McElwain’s postgame opening from a year ago when the roles were reversed.

Right on cue, LSU deep snapper Blake Ferguson -— the deep snapper — leaned in to finish the mimic, “… and it should have been worse.”

Imagine the possibilities when both teams are actually really good again.

Right now they’re not.

As one Florida writer friend told me after the game, “Two bad teams playing for the Belk Bowl.”

I think that’s in Charlotte and I’m pretty sure it’s not part of the College Football Playoff.

But never mind that both teams right now are flawed and trying to work around some serious holes in the rosters.

It was a victory that LSU desperately needed, no matter the aesthetics or the true worth of the opponent (Florida came into the game 3-0 in the SEC, but may have used up its nine lives just to beat three mediocre SEC East teams).

But there’s certainly no need for LSU to apologize for it.

Mostly, head coach Ed Orgeron will get a little peace and quiet and can get on with the task of getting his team up to snuff.

Mainly, his team responded to him after the embarrassing debacle of losing at home to Troy last week. Sometimes crisis management is part of the job.

The “soft” team you read about all week won this one mostly on pure guts and attitude.

Sure, it was obvious Orgeron made good on his promise to keep his nose out of Matt Canada’s offense forever and a day.

And, for two and half quarters, it was a sight to behold, even if nobody can figure out what all that crazy motioning and shifting and jet-sweeping is all about. Or believe that it’s all that.

Well … 

“We got beat in all the shifts and motions,” no less an authority than Florida coach Jim McElwain said.

And who would dream up an offense that turns Danny Etling into a runner by design?

Canada got turned loose Saturday with all the bells and whistles. It should be fun to watch going forward.

Not many offenses, however, are drawn up to be executed with three true freshmen offensive linemen.

You’d get hoo-hawed out of the coaching clinic for suggesting such a fool thing.

But LSU pulled it off for much of the game, even if the Tigers never threatened to score after taking a 17-3 lead with the opening drive of the third quarter. In fact, they never had a drive with more than one first down after that. By then, they were just trying to cobble something together.

But that’s when LSU’s injury-depleted defense took over — somehow stiffening after the Gators drove easily on two long touchdown drives to pull within one point, still with that entire fourth quarter and Tom Petty tribute still to play.

They got through the fourth quarter on will and determination alone.

Or maybe the Tiger Band should get some credit.