Florida football: LSU should be worried about the Gators’ ground game
There’s a lot of focus on the Florida football passing attack against LSU this weekend, but is that were all the focus should be?
It would be easy for the Florida football passing game to get all the love, especially in a matchup against LSU’s defense.
However, we can’t be too quick to overlook the potential potency of the Gators’ running attack.
Whoa! Where did that come from?
I know, I know. I, too, have been pretty critical of the Florida football rushing attack that saw its first 100-yard rusher in Lamical Perine LAST WEEK.
But, consider this.
Florida football has the sixth-best passing completion rate of any team in the Football Bowl Subdivision at .748. (116-for-155). That is just .031 behind LSU, which has the nation’s best completion percentage (.779).
A lot of that has to do with Kyle Trask completing 72.16% of his passes, going 70-for-97. Florida football head coach Dan Mullen has simplified the playbook and kept Trask from making any deep-ball mistakes.
"“Dan (Florida coach Mullen) is a big formation guy,” said LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, during his Monday news conference. “You’re going to see how he lines up in a certain formation and try to hit you where your weaknesses are.”"
That has left Trask with a quarterback rating of 168.15.
So, it is easy to think that Florida will really target the passing game on Saturday against a Tiger defense ranking No. 32 in all of FBS (giving up an average of 320 yards per game).
To put some context into that, Florida’s total defense is ranked No. 17 in the nation, giving up an average of 281.2 yards per game.
All SEC Football
But, you really have to dig a little deeper to see just where the yardage gained against LSU is actually coming from.
While opponents like Utah State and Northwestern State weren’t able to do much on offense (although Northwestern State did have 232 yards passing), Vanderbilt rushed for 145 yards on 34 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
Texas, on the other hand, did have 121 yards on the ground and 409 yards in the air in perhaps the most telling view of the Tigers’ defense against more solid competition.
The point here is if we know Florida football has been able to sling the football around with good success, don’t you think LSU knows that?
"“All of their receivers are good and fast, and they have a bunch of them,” Orgeron said during his Monday news conference."
Orgeron also remembers last season when Florida football ran the option and the quarterback throwback, catching LSU defenders out of position.
He did allude to how he will play when facing Florida’s offense on third down.
"“Third down, to me, is always about protection,” Orgeron said. “It’s always about pass rush. If you can protect, I think you give enough time for a quarterback to throw the football, there’ll be open spots.“I think if you can pass rush and not give the quarterback enough time, you’ll win.”"
It’s not to suggest Florida football has to do nothing but run the football. Over the last two years, LSU has not done particularly well against Florida’s run, and you can bet Orgeron knows that too.
He said his biggest concern right now is stopping the run.
It should be.
Perine had a breakout run for an 88-yard touchdown against Auburn last week and eclipsed the 100-yard mark for a game for the first time this season.
You don’t think that’s going to leave him hungry for more?
Malik Davis has not shone as brightly this season and he should be anxious to get out and show what he’s made up.
Dameon Pierce is still questionable for LSU after suffering a big blow against Auburn (and I still say it was targeting).
Regardless, Orgeron is worried about stopping the run and he should be. Florida football has exploited a poor rushing defense in LSU for the last two seasons.
Saturday shouldn’t be an exception.
No. 5 LSU will host No. 7 Florida at 8 p.m. Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.