LSU Week Seven Preview: Florida
LSU (4-2) will look to put the 40-13 loss at home in week six against Tennessee in the rearview mirror as they will travel to face their annual cross-rivals, Florida (4-2). The Gators are coming off a home win against Missouri, 24-17. Florida is riding off a two-game winning streak after losing to Tennessee on the road on September 24th.
LSU @ Florida Game Information:
Current Records: LSU (4-2) @ Florida (4-2)
Date/Time: October 15th @ 6:00 p.m. CT
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium; Gainesville, FL
Where to Watch: ESPN (Commentators: Play-By-Play Joe Tessitore, Analyst Greg McElroy, Reporter Katie George)
Spread: Florida (-2.5)
LSU vs. Florida Series History:
Florida leads the all-time series against LSU, 33-32-3. The Tigers have won three straight against the Gators dating back to the 2019 season. LSU won last year’s matchup in Tiger Stadium, 49-42.
Previewing LSU Heading Into Week Seven:
Once again, LSU found itself trailing in an SEC game again. Tennessee was able to jump out the gates early with a 20-0 to put the crowd in Tiger Stadium out of the game. The Tigers were dominated by the Volunteers on Saturday and can’t afford to start out of the gates slow against Florida on the road.
The LSU running game was non-existent for the purple and gold against Tennessee. The Volunteers were able to hold LSU to just 55 total yards on the ground. The leading rusher for the Tigers was Jayden Daniels as he had 16 carries for 38 yards. LSU will need their running game to show up in this game for them to come out on top.
The absence of Will Campbell was prevalent against Tennessee as their defensive front was able to bring pressure to Daniels. The running game will need to get going against a Florida defense that is allowing 213.7 yards on the ground per game. Campbell is expected to be back for the game against the Gators and that will provide a boost to the offensive line that was out of sorts against Tennessee.
The Tiger defense will have to do a better job than they did a year ago against Florida. LSU allowed the Gators to score 42 points and 488 total yards on offense. The Tiger defense wasn’t able to generate pressure against Hendon Hooker, but they can’t happen this weekend as they will face off against Anthony Richardson.
The rush defense for LSU showed some weakness against Tennessee as the Volunteers were able to pick up 263 rushing yards. The Tiger defense will have to face off against a quarterback that is capable of beating you with his legs and a talented sophomore running back.
Scouting LSU’s Opponent: Florida
The Tiger defense will be seeing a familiar face at quarterback with Richardson being the Gators signal caller in 2022. Richardson came into the game after Florida benched Emory Jones in the second half of last year’s matchup. The sophomore quarterback had 167 yards and two passing touchdowns.
LSU’s defense was able to force turnovers from the young quarterback in the matchup last year. Richardson will be looking to bounce back after having a subpar game against a pesky Missouri defense. Missouri’s defense only allowed Richardson to throw for 66 yards. Against Missouri, Florida averaged over seven yards per carry.
That Gators relied on Montrell Johnson Jr. and the running game in the 24-17 win against Missouri. Johnson racked up 8 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown. The Gator offense is averaging 436.0 total yards of offense per game and averaging 30.8 points per game.
On the defensive side, the Gators are allowing 25.3 points per game and 412.8 yards allowed per game. Florida’s defense has struggled in third down stops as they rank dead last in the SEC. The run defense for the Gators has struggled to open up the season and will have a challenge with the running back committee that LSU has.
Prediction for LSU @ Florida:
This annual rivalry game always seems to come down to the wire and this game will be no different. Both teams have been hit or miss on the offensive side. This should be the complete opposite of how this matchup turned out in 2021 with both teams getting into the 40’s.
Florida has the advantage with Richardson at quarterback as he has been able to take shots down the field, whereas Daniels hasn’t shown that in the first few weeks of the season. The Gators are strong in the running and will pose a challenge to the LSU defensive front that struggled containing Tennessee’s run game.
The matchup between the Gators and the Tigers will come down to the final possession. In a defensive slugfest, LSU will continue their winning streak against Florida.
Prediction: LSU 21, Florida 17
Photo Credit: USA Today Network & USA Today Network
Tyler Eschette: Sports Scramble Podcast/CFB Coast 2 Coast/SEC Talk/Olde City Sports Network