After dropping their road matchup to Alabama in what could’ve been the SEC West championship game, LSU must shift their focus to Billy Napier and the Florida Gators, who are also coming off a big loss.
Brian Kelly is looking to hit 10 wins for the second straight year in Baton Rouge, but he needs this win over Florida as the first step toward that goal.
DRIVE FOR FIVE
LSU has gotten the best of Florida over the last couple of seasons, winning every season since 2019. So a win on Saturday Night in Death Valley would make it five straight years that the Tigers have beaten the Gators. However, Florida is well aware of that fact too, and has plenty to play for Saturday night. Sitting at 5-4, Napier’s team needs one more win to get bowl-eligible. However, with matchups against Missouri and Florida State in their final two games, the Gators will be looking to capture their sixth win now.
FORMER CAJUNS COME HOME
When Billy Napier took over the Florida Gators program in December 2021, he brought a lot of his coaching staff from Louisiana with him as well as players. Some of those coaches and players have moved on to the NFL, but names like Rob Sale, Montrell Johnson Jr, David Doecker, Jabarr Juluke, and others will make their return to the Bayou State on Saturday, except this time they will be coaching against the team from Louisiana in LSU.
BATTLE OF SECOND-YEAR COACHES
Both head coaches that will be roaming the sidelines tomorrow night in Tiger Stadium are in their second seasons with their respective programs. However, one is in a better position than the other.
Brian Kelly comes into this matchup with a 17-7 record in Baton Rouge, including a trip to the SEC Championship Game and a bowl win. He brought Jayden Daniels to LSU, who is currently deep into the Heisman conversation with just three games to go in the regular season and is recruiting at an incredibly high level.
For Florida, Napier has had his struggles. His record at Florida is currently 11-11 with two losses to Georgia, a bowl loss, and bad losses to Arkansas and Vanderbilt. His results have angered the fanbase in Gainesville, but he is currently putting together a Top 5 recruiting class for 2024, so although they’ve had issues, the future looks very bright with a young defense.
SERIES RECORD: Series Tied 33-33-3
Last Five Meetings:
2022: LSU 45 – FLORIDA 35
2021: LSU 49 – FLORIDA 42
2020: LSU 37 – FLORIDA 34
2019: LSU 42– FLORIDA 28
2018: FLORIDA 27 – LSU 19
STAT LEADERS
LSU
Jayden Daniels: 178-of-247, 2,792 yards, 27 TD, 4 INT
Jayden Daniels: 102 carries, 684 yards, 6 TD
Malik Nabers: 66 receptions, 1,152 yards, 10 TD
Greg Penn III: 62 tackles (25 solo), 4 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT
Damian Ramos: 11-of-14, Long of 48, 51-51 PAT
Florida
Graham Mertz: 221-of-299, 2,409 yards, 17 TD, 2 INT
Montrell Johnson Jr: 106 carries, 555 yards, 4 TD
Ricky Pearsall: 55 receptions, 773 yards, 4 TD
Shemar James: 55 tackles (24 solo), 5.5 TFL, 1 sack
Trey Smack: 14-of-16, Long of 54, 19-19 PAT
LSU and Florida will kick off Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. with pregame beginning at 4:30 p.m. The game can be seen on the SEC Network and heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.