LSU vs Florida preview and prediction
Florida needs a win this week to ensure that they make a trip to Atlanta on Dec. 3, but can they get past Ed Orgeron and the thriving LSU Tigers?
This week in the SEC the No. 23 Florida Gators (7-2, 5-2 SEC) travel to Baton Rouge to take on the No. 16 LSU Tigers (6-3, 4-2 SEC).
After a slow 2-2 start to the season for LSU and the firing of longtime head coach Les Miles, the Tigers rallied behind interim coach Ed Orgeron. Since Orgeron took over, LSU has found its spark and went 4-1 with big wins over Ole Miss and Arkansas in the last five games. The Tigers offense has certainly hit its stride, as the two-headed monster that they have at running back has flourished. Running backs Derrius Guice and Leonard Fournette, who is listed as questionable for this Saturday, have carried LSU and are 21st in the nation in rush offense.
The Florida Gators have wedged themselves back into the spotlight for SEC Championship after a Tennessee loss to South Carolina put them back in the mix. Since the Gators loss to the Volunteers, they went 4-1 with wins over Vanderbilt and Georgia. Florida has been banged up in recent weeks, with injuries to key players Joey Ivie, Daniel McMillian, starting quarterback Luke Del Rio and many more. The Gators defense has been formidable, as they rank third in the nation in total defense and only average giving up 266 yards a game.
Getting the running game going will be key for the LSU Tigers, as they will need to take some pressure off of quarterback Danny Etling, who will surely have problems with the stout Gators secondary. Guice and Fournette have had no trouble getting going in recent weeks, as they have combined for eight total games with over 100 rushing yards this year. The Tigers defense are no scrubs either, as they rank 13th in the nation in total defense and will go up against a Florida offense that has struggled all year.
The key for Florida this week will be having a solid day on offense. The Gators are ranked 112th in the nation in total offense and have yet to really have a solid showing all year. Quarterback Austin Appleby will need to have a big game to compensate for LSU’s fantastic rush defense, who likely will give running back Jordan Scarlett a hard time. The Gators absolutely have to have a good game offensively for there to be a remote chance of them winning. Florida’s defense will have to carry them once again as they face a lethal LSU offense that has been nothing short of a well-oiled machine under Orgeron.
Prediction
The Florida defense will put pressure on Etling by stopping the run and force multiple turnovers. However, the Gators offense will not be able to get anything going, resulting in LSU dominating the possession in this game. Florida’s defense will give in and the Tigers will win a hard-fought game, 24-13.
Edited by David Bradford
Featured image by Chris Parent
