The Tigers travel to Gainesville on Saturday night to face the Gators for the 52nd straight season and the 69th time overall. LSU has won three straight in the rivalry, with last year being a 49-42 victory in the shootout to end all shootouts.
By Steve Wright
Follow @14powerscom
Here are the three keys to making that four straight wins:
Exploit Florida’s Third Down Defense
The Florida defense has been good on the back end, especially considering the level of quarterback that it has faced. Jayden Daniels needed a big day against Tennessee after a disappointing performance against Auburn, and he found it as he passed for over 300 yards. The key to beating the Gators is getting into manageable third-down spots. Florida is last in the SEC in third-down defense, mainly because the run defense isn’t working. If LSU can manipulate the ball into winnable third-down spots, then the Tigers will be onto something.
Better Run Defense
The Tigers have to see the 40-13 loss at the hands of Tennessee last week as one of those games. The turnovers were an issue, but Hendon Hooker is white hot, and Tennessee is about to give Alabama everything it can handle. The big worry, however, is the run defense. Giving up 263 yards on the ground to the Vols is bad news, especially with a Florida running attack next up. That attack is keyed around the mobility of quarterback Anthony Richardson and getting backs into space. LSU will have to shut the running game down early and make Richardson win this with his arm.
Start Faster On Offense
The LSU offense has been weird. It is efficient when it needs to be – especially in critical moments – but there is a considerable lack of explosivity (111th nationally in 20-yard play rate). Worse, the offense rarely seems to work well early in games. This is not a game where LSU can afford to go down by a couple of scores early. The Swamp is a horrible place to play, and the Florida running game will strangle LSU with tempo if the Gators race off to an early lead.
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