Last season, the Florida Gators traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for their annual showdown with the Louisiana State Tigers. The Gators were the No. 20 team in the country and sitting at a respectable 4-2.
Three hundred and twenty one LSU rushing yards and four Florida turnovers later, the Tigers upset the Gators and started their downward spiral.
With two new coaches and closer ties than ever, it’s a new era in one of the fiercest rivalries in the Southeastern Conference.
Florida (4-2, 1-2 SEC) will host LSU (4-2, 2-1 SEC) in a pivotal cross-divisional showdown Saturday night. The Gators are looking to snap a three-game losing streak in the series after last season’s collapse in Death Valley.
“Nothing that's happened in the past will affect the game Saturday night, but I do think there is an awareness of this being a crossover game,” Napier said. “I think the excitement is about the matchups in the game playing against really good players playing against a good coaching staff.”
The Tigers are coming off a deflating 42-13 blowout loss at home to the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers. The Tigers put themselves in an early 10-0 hole after a pair of special teams gaffes and never recovered against the high-octane Tennessee offense.
LSU lost the first game of the Brian Kelly era, again due to disastrous special teams. Against the Florida State Seminoles, quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Tigers’ offense constructed a 99-yard touchdown drive with 65 seconds left to put LSU within one point of overtime.
On the ensuing extra point — a practical certainty at the college level — FSU blew through the protection and blocked the kick, sending the Tigers home with a heartbreaking defeat.
Despite the pair of frustrating losses, the Tigers have a pair of impressive conference wins through the first half of the season. LSU came back from an early 13-0 deficit against Mississippi State — now the No. 16 team in the country — for a decisive 31-16 win.
LSU’s physical and athletic defense shut down one of the nation’s best passing attacks and led the way for the first signature win under Kelly. The Tigers made another big comeback in league play, coming back from a 17-0 hole to beat the Auburn Tigers 21-17 on the road at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Daniels and the offense have struggled at times under first-year offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. Daniels transferred from Arizona State and formerly played with Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
“We FaceTime all the time,” Pearsall said of his former teammate. “He's definitely talking, but I talk too, so it's gonna be really fun. Little rivalry with each other.”
Daniels, a former high four-star recruit from Southern California, has had a decent season thus far. He’s completed close to 70% of his passes and thrown for seven touchdowns, while also leading the Tigers with 359 rushing yards.
LSU has a long history of elite skill players, especially at wide receiver. Entering the season, junior KayShon Boutte was expected to be among the nation’s best pass catchers and a high NFL draft pick, but he’s caught only 17 passes through six games.
The Tigers’ leading receiver is sophomore Malik Nabers who’s racked up 370 yards on a team-high 28 catches. Fellow sophomore and former high four-star prospect Brian Thomas Jr. is second on the team with 233 yards.
The formidable LSU defense is orchestrated by first-coordinator Matt House. He spent three seasons as the linebackers coach with the Kansas City Chiefs and brings Super Bowl pedigree to the defense in Death Valley.
The defense is led by standout edge rusher BJ Ojulari. The younger brother of former Georgia Bulldog Azeez Ojulari, the LSU junior leads the Tigers with 3.5 sacks. Sophomore Sai’vion Jones also gets after the quarterback with 2.5 sacks this season.
Saturday is also Tom Petty Day at the Swamp, recognizing the Gainesville native and rock music legend. Petty’s hit song, “I Won’t Back Down,” has been a staple of Florida football games since 2017.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The game will broadcast on ESPN.
Contact Topher Adams at tadams@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Topher_Adams.
Topher Adams is a fourth-year communications major and in his fourth semester with the Alligator. He previously covered football, baseball and women's basketball. He also enjoys professional lacrosse and Major League Soccer.
