Florida Football Three Keys: LSU

LSU-Florida starts at 6:00 PM CT ( 7:00 PM ET). Watch on the ESPN Network.

LSU Three keys

This game figures to be weird and wild. LSU and Florida are two teams with raw, natural talent but ultimately erratic players who have a hard time establishing any consistency.

By Matt Zemek

Jayden Daniels and Anthony Richardson are obviously very fast, very athletic, and very talented, but the puzzle just isn’t fitting for either of them as college quarterbacks. Daniels has more overall experience, but Richardson has played plenty of games and is no spring chicken. Neither man can seem to put all the pieces together. Brian Kelly is a highly credentialed football coach, having taken Notre Dame to a BCS National Championship Game and multiple College Football Playoffs. Billy Napier shows promise at Florida, given his recruiting performance and his understanding of what it takes to build a program. Yet, both men have failed to bring out the best in their quarterbacks and their offenses on a regular basis. We get glimpses of what is possible, but we aren’t getting steady displays of competence. This leads us into our three keys for this game, and they’re all very obvious.

1 – Quarterbacks

Let’s not pretend otherwise: This is a game where quarterback play looms very large, given the volatility of Jayden Daniels and Anthony Richardson. When they’re on, they’re very hard to beat, but they’re not on long enough to establish themselves as elite, imposing players who make their teams – and teammates – better. Daniels does not look noticeably better than the erratic quarterback he was at Arizona State. Richardson had a dynamic season opener against Utah but has not been able to faithfully replicate that level of form. The QB who plays better wins this game. More likely – and specifically – the QB who avoids the really big mistake will probably win this contest.

2 – Big-play receivers

When two quarterbacks are struggling, it’s hard to expect the patient 12-play, 80-yard drive in which a quarterback makes six or seven important plays and converts three third downs and aces a lot of different tests. Therefore, when quarterbacks are struggling, the biggest and best pick-me-up they can hope for is the long-ball touchdown which enables them to score six points on one play. Why do in 12 plays what can be achieved in one play? If either QB can catch lightning in a bottle, that would relieve pressure and provide an instant boost for a sagging offense. Daniels and Richardson need to find a pass catcher who can make magic happen.

3 – Special teams

LSU’s special teams have been a disaster this year. Florida can win if it can take advantage of LSU’s woes in the kicking game. More broadly, either team – given its offensive struggles – can use a high-impact play on a blocked kick or a kick return to create a short field for its offense. This facet of play doesn’t always decide games, but this feels like a game in which special teams are going to matter to a greater degree.

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