Like last weekend, when Florida plays LSU on Saturday, the Gators will be trying to stop a Heisman candidate from beating them.
But unlike last weekend, this standout plays on the defensive side of the ball.
LSU sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has entered the discussion for college football’s most prestigious honor in his second year with his penchant for making big plays. Through five games, Mathieu has an interception, 1.5 sacks and four forced fumbles; Florida’s entire defense has four forced fumbles. He has returned two of those fumbles for touchdowns, leading Gators coach Will Muschamp to call Mathieu a “ballhawk” — a term coaches have tried to instill as a representation of the Gators’ defense.
“Just an electric guy on the field,” Muschamp said of Mathieu. “[He] plays with great energy; tough, hard-nosed, great blitzer. Has just a knack for getting the ball off people as far as strips are concerned and interceptions. Just one of those guys that shows up in the right spots regardless of what’s being asked of him.”
Mathieu leads LSU in tackles with 35, including four for a loss of yard, and he has four pass breakups. On a defense filled with NFL-caliber players, Mathieu stands out.
Florida right guard Jon Halapio said the offensive line has to be aware of Mathieu’s positioning on the field, attention usually reserved for defensive ends or pass-rushing linebackers.
“We have to know where he’s at,” Halapio said. “He’s a defensive standout player that we see on film, so we’re going to have to watch out for him.”
Mathieu will be on the attack against one of three freshmen quarterbacks for Florida. One of those young signal-callers, Jeff Driskel, has been vulnerable to turning the ball over early this season.
Driskel threw an interception on his first career pass in the opener against FAU, and the freshman tossed another just before halftime against Kentucky. While that second interception was not entirely Driskel’s fault, the fumble that led to the Wildcats’ only touchdown of the game was, and it happened because Driskel held on to the ball too long in the pocket.
Not feeling the pressure before it’s too late will be a problem that could plague whichever freshman quarterback ends up taking the snaps Saturday, as Mathieu showed last week against Kentucky when he came off Maxwell Smith’s blind side to strip the ball and return it for the score.
LSU coach Les Miles said it may be a bit premature for Heisman talk regarding Mathieu, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t talking up his star.
“He has all the characteristics that you would want and allow somebody in a national voting position to award,” Miles said. “I don’t have the view of the nation’s best performances and how the seasons are going for many others, but for Tyrann Mathieu, he’s having a great year.”
Contact Matt Watts at mwatts@alligator.org.
LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (14) has forced four fumbles this season — the same number as Florida’s entire defense. Mathieu returned two of those fumbles for touchdowns.
