A battle between undefeated top-10 teams will take place in Death Valley on Saturday when No. 8 Florida (6-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) takes on No. 6 LSU (5-0, 3-0 SEC).
Both the Gators and Tigers are at the top of their respective divisions, and a spot in the College Football Playoff could be on the line.
Before the game gets underway, here’s what you need to know about the Tigers.
How they got here: After its season opener against McNeese State was cancelled due to inclement weather, LSU has won five straight games, scoring at least 34 points in its last four contests.
The Tigers lead the SEC in rushing offense (346.4 yards/game) and are in the top five in total offense (third, 468.4 yards/game), scoring offense (third, 37.8 points/game) and total defense (third, 291.4 yards allowed/game).
LSU is also the only team in the conference and one of 10 in the country that has yet to miss a field goal, with Trent Domingue hitting all seven of his attempts this season.
Fear Fournette: LSU’s offense lives and dies at the hands of running back Leonard Fournette.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound sophomore and Heisman Trophy frontrunner leads the nation with 1,022 rushing yards and is tied for the national lead with 12 rushing touchdowns, despite playing one less game than his top competition.
Fournette’s 204.4 yards per game is almost 50 more than his closest competitor — Florida State’s Dalvin Cook (158.4 yards/game).
Battle in the trenches: LSU’s offensive line will face its biggest test of the young season. The Tigers have given up just seven sacks and have allowed 26 tackles for loss, marks that respectively rank tied for fourth and fifth in the conference.
Florida comes into Saturday’s game with an SEC-leading 21 sacks and is tied for second with 49 tackles for loss.
A rundown on the series history: Florida leads the overall series 31-25-3 — including a 16-13 mark in Baton Rouge — since it became an annual rivalry in 1953.
However, LSU has taken four of the last five matchups (UF won in 2012), outscoring the Gators 127-87 since 2010.
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LSU running back Leonard Fournette rushes during LSU's 45-24 win against South Carolina.
