Saturday Spotlight
(7) Florida Gators at (5) LSU Tigers
Florida: I was expecting a close game last Saturday when they played Auburn and it was for most of the game, but they just ended up pulling away and getting the win over a good Auburn team. Talk about this game being a test, they passed it with flying colors. As every team does throughout a season, the Florida Gators have dealt with a slew of injuries. Last week, some key pieces returned to the field for them and it showed, especially on the defensive side as they made Bo Nix look like a rookie quarterback just stepping onto the field for the first time. Heading into that game, the key was keeping Nix contained because he’s a quarterback that consistently moves the pocket to make throws on the run. That wasn’t the case on Saturday as the Florida defense toughened up and intercepted the young quarterback three times. I was concerned about Kyle Trask because he injured his knee and was seen with a brace on. He still finished the game with 234 yards passing, two touchdown passes and zero picks. However, he struggled to hold onto the ball as he had a huge issue with fumbles. Now, Florida is a nice position in the SEC East. They’re tied for first with Georgia and Dan Mullen has them playing well. With their defense, they pride themselves on a consistent pass rush and when it’s on, this is the best defensive front in the entire SEC without question because all four guys on that defensive line can impact the play to push and disrupt the pocket. Also, as you saw in week six against the Tigers, they love to force takeaways. They’ve already taken down one SEC West opponent, now it’s time to see if they can do it again tonight in Death Valley against the Tigers of LSU.
LSU: A few weeks ago, I was asked if I had to pick some Heisman candidates, who would they be? Would Tua Tagovailoa be on that list? Or would it be the field? I didn’t even hesitate as I took the field which consisted of Jalen Hurts, Jonathan Taylor and LSU’s quarterback, Joe Burrow. He’s been on a tear this year. In previous years, the LSU Tigers have had the running game, the strong offensive line, a consistent group on special teams (which is still important in today’s game) and a strong group on the defensive side. A consistent quarterback was always the question mark. Now, they have one. I became more attentive to Burrow’s game last year and just in one season, I’ve seen more of a development in his game and it also has to do with a passing coordinator they hired named Joe Brady who came over after spending a year with Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant. If you pay close attention, you see a lot of similarities between the Saints offense and the Tigers offense. You never see receivers run the deep crossing routes over the middle of the football field because everything is vertical up the field. Brady has instilled a pro-like offense and Burrow has benefitted from it greatly. This offense moves the football down the field so fluidly and easily. The offensive line has given Burrow a clean pocket to throw from, you barely see his jersey get dirty, they still run the ball and it really helps when you have your top targets averaging over 13 yards per catch. Their defense has been fun to watch. They have an aggressive group that plays team defense. They have a defensive line that can penetrate up front to disrupt the play, the linebackers to play sideline to sideline and the secondary has earned the name “DBU” for producing some top-notch defensive backs from Patrick Peterson to Jamal Adams to Tyrann Mathieu. I think it’s safe to say Grant Delpit will also be mentioned in that conversation when he decides to go play at the next level. The bye week is over and it’s time for a big showdown with the Florida Gators.
Florida Player to Watch: Lamical Perine– He’s one of the most underrated running backs in the country. He’s also a very versatile football player who’s able to do more than just take handoffs out the backfield. He follows his blockers, he allows the lanes to open, he can bounce outside the tackles and cut back inside. You need him to catch the ball in the flat, he can. Watch the Gators unleash him early on tonight.
LSU Player to Watch: K’Lavon Chaisson– This kid is a pure athlete. He’s 6’4 with wide strides and long arms to get his hands up to knock the ball down. He plays either side of the defensive line and he never takes a play off. Wherever the ball is, you see him. Those are the type of football players you want to line up with week in and week out. With Trask limited on his mobility, I see Chaisson making him move to test that knee.
Final Analysis: There’s a lot to look forward to in the SEC in the next few weeks. There’s this game, LSU also plays Alabama, Georgia plays Florida and Auburn will also have to face Georgia. Talk about a logjam in a conference, only two of these teams will be able to get to Atlanta to play in the SEC title game. You talk about a clash; it gets no better than this. LSU features the best scoring offense in the country and Florida is in the top ten in scoring defense. Florida will have to find a way to contain the LSU offensive attack. LSU takes care of the football so well and doesn’t seem to make mistakes often. LSU has turned the ball over a total of six times all year while the Gators have turned it over 13 times. Someone will need to break through in this one. I see this being a close game all the way throughout.
Prediction: LSU 27 Florida 23
