With a matchup against the No. 1 team in the country looming, with John Brantley out, with so much doom and gloom surrounding the Gators this week, it’s hard to get excited for Saturday.
Florida showed fatal flaws against Alabama, and LSU has the ability to make the forgettable results from last weekend reemerge in a hurry. A loss is sure to deflate much of the remaining hype regarding Will Muschamp’s first year.
However, there is hope. There’s always a chance.
But for the Gators to pull off the improbable, they’ll need to do these five things:
Run the ball and stop the run. To win in the Southeastern Conference, this is important every week. It’s even more important this Saturday, as Florida is coming off its worst performances of the season in both regards against Alabama.
LSU may be ranked seventh in the SEC in rushing, but the Tigers have racked up their 172.6-yard average against quality opponents. They also tout the nation’s third-ranked rush defense, holding teams like Oregon and Mississippi State in check.
Protect the quarterback. As we creep closer to game day, it appears freshman Jeff Driskel is the most likely candidate to start. Driskel will need protection from an offensive line that looked inept at times against Alabama, especially if he’s going to atone for the turnover woes that have plagued him in limited playing time this season.
Allowing the Tigers to take the ball away from the Gators offense Saturday will mean trouble in the bayou. Plus, Driskel is allergic to honey badgers.
Knock around Jarrett Lee. LSU’s quarterback has been sacked just three times this season, the fewest in the SEC, and is usually the beneficiary of seven-player protections on passing plays.
For Florida’s defense to generate stops and get off the field on third down, it will need to make things uncomfortable for Lee. He has thrown just one interception this season compared to seven touchdowns, and the Gators need to change that ratio on Saturday.
Create some big plays. Charlie Weis has to get Andre Debose involved as much as possible. LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis has definitely been game planning for Tommy Pickles and Chuckie Finster (the “Rugrats” combo of Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey), and Debose could find himself taking advantage of single coverage as the Tigers fill the box to stop the run.
Driskel has shown what he’s capable of when a play breaks down, and Florida will need multiple big plays to turn the momentum and quiet the crazies in Death Valley.
Keep it close. If Florida can do this, throw everything else out the window. Les Miles is on the verge of being clinically insane, and he has succeeded as a head coach merely due to blind luck. Maybe he sold his soul to a shaman over in New Orleans, or maybe he’s just dumb. Either way, put Miles in a closely contested game and he’s bound to mess it up.
Last year against UF, Miles called for the holder on a field-goal attempt to toss the ball blindly over his head on a trick play. It worked, and LSU won. But if Florida keeps it close, then that luck is sure to run out.
Contact Matt Watts at mwatts@alligator.org.
