The No. 20 Florida Gators (4-2, 2-2) have to win out, with a win over No. 1 Georgia, plus they need some help to win the SEC East. That path starts this weekend with a road game against a team at a crossroads with a trip to face the LSU Tigers (3-3, 1-2). Kickoff at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge is set for Noon ET, and the game will be televised on ESPN.
The SEC is full of rivalry games, and one of the best division crossovers played annually is the battle between Florida and LSU. This year’s game is the first time Florida has been favored on the road since the Tim Tebow-led Gators won in Baton Rouge in 2009. LSU won in Gainesville last year 37-34 in a game remembered most for a shoe-throwing play by a Gators defensive back, and LSU is 8-3 in the last 11.
Gators Run Game Leads Way
Following a road upset at Kentucky that included numerous penalties and offensive mistakes, the Gators beat Vanderbilt 42-0 last week. The Gators have rushed for 1,642 yards on the season, their highest tally after six games since 1975. Florida ran for 181 yards against Vanderbilt, and quarterback Emory Jones leads the team with 479 yards on the ground this season.
Jones accounts for 270 yards per game, with 191 yards per contest through the air. Last week he threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Overall this season, he has 1,144 passing yards, nine touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 64 percent completion rate.
Florida spreads the ball around in both the running and passing games. Malik Davis leads the running backs with 279 yards while Dameon Pierce has 238. Pierce has seven of the Gators’ 15 rushing touchdowns while Davis has three, Jones has two, and backup quarterback Anthony Richardson has two.
Eight different receivers have found the end zone for the Florida offense, led by Jacob Copeland with three. Copeland has 21 catches for 370 yards on the season, while Rick Wells has 13 catches for 149 yards and two scores.
LSU At A Crossroads
Head coach Ed Orgeron could be on the verge of losing his team just two seasons after winning a national title. The Tigers are 8-8 since winning the championship and just 4-5 in SEC play. They were crushed in the run game last week, allowing 330 yards in a 42-21 loss at Kentucky.
To make matters worse, the Tigers have also been bit by the injury bug. Cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Eli Ricks, along with starting defensive ends Ali Gay and Andre Anthony, are expected to miss Saturday’s showdown. Linebacker Damone Clark leads the SEC with 68 tackles after having 14 last week.
Quarterback Max Johnson threw 15 touchdown passes in the first four games of the season, but he has just two touchdowns total in the last two games. Overall he has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,730 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions.
The LSU run game is not on par with seasons past as they average just 2.9 yards per carry this season. Tyrion Davis-Price leads the Tigers with 288 yards and two touchdowns with a long run of 30. Corey Kiner has 171 yards and two scores, but no other LSU player has more than 56 yards, and only two Tigers have scored on the ground this season.
When healthy, Florida’s secondary is one of the best in the nation, and LSU will challenge that with Kayshon Boutte, who has 38 catches and nine touchdowns. He averages 13.4 yards per reception, while Jack Bech has 22 catches for 272 yards and a touchdown.
Betting Analysis
- Florida Gators -11.5 (-115). Money line -475
- LSU Tigers +11.5 (-105). Money line +350
- Total Points: 59.5. Over -110, Under -110
Even at full strength, the LSU defense would be hard-pressed to slow down the Florida rushing attack that accounted for 245 yards against Alabama and 283 against Tennessee. Jones has improved as a passer as the season has progressed, making the Gators multi-dimensional. Florida will be out to prove that the Kentucky game was a fluke as they look for their first SEC road win of the season.
Free Pick: Under 58.5 points (-110)
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