The LSU Tigers head into this game fresh off a very big win over Missouri last weekend, 42-7, which handed Ed Orgeron his first win as the team’s new head coach.
During the win, the Tigers surprisingly amassed a lot of yards (634), something they’ve struggled to do in their previous games. They found most of their success on the ground, particularly through the pair of Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams, who combined for 293 yards rushing and had three touchdowns apiece.
However, LSU can’t assume that it will find the same amount of opportunities against the 18th-ranked Gators this Saturday. Florida has a very sturdy defense and will also have its starting QB—Luke Del Rio—back to lead a dynamic offense that’s racking up at least 400 total yards per game.
Therefore, the Tigers are in for a dogfight on both sides of the football. Their defense should hold up, but the offense really needs Leonard Fournette back. He’s been dealing with a left ankle injury that’s forced him to miss two games already. Fortunately, the junior running back, who ranked third in the country with 1,953 rushing yards last year, is expected to make his return for this game.
LSU is 5-5 SU and 3-7 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Don’t expect the No. 18 Florida Gators to struggle the way they did in their ugly 13-6 win over Vanderbilt last weekend. They will have, as mentioned earlier, Luke Del Rio back calling the shots behind center. He’s missed the last two games due to a left knee injury.
Del Rio’s return should lead to a bounce-back performance from second-year receiver Antonio Callaway, who was held to a season-low of 36 yards on three catches versus the Commodores. Prior to that game, he was coming off a strong outing (134 yards, four receptions) at Tennessee. Callaway is also averaging an eye-popping 18.6 yards per catch this season.
Furthermore, Florida’s running game will continue causing trouble to opposing defensive lines. This team, after all, is pretty loaded with a bunch of reliable ball carriers. There’s Jordan Scarlett, Mark Thompson and Lamical Parine, all of whom currently have 194 rushing yards or more and at least one touchdown to their names.
Defensively the Gators are in for a relatively tough challenge, especially in stopping the likes of Leonard Fournette. If the LSU star does return here, the main focus for the Florida defense (11.6 points allowed per game) is to apply all the pressure on him and force the opposition’s quarterback—Danny Etling—to throw more.
Florida is 8-2 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 home games.
