LSU Tigers

The LSU Tigers Would Have Dismantled Florida

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

While the process may have been very, very faulty, the LSU-Florida game is not happening today, and likely at all this season. This was a HUGE game for this Tigers team to get back into the thick of things in the SEC West, and not having the opportunity to pick up that critical conference win is a huge blow.

Florida entered the week ranked, and after LSU fired Les Miles and won big over Missouri, this matchup was setting up to be one of the best games of the weekend. These teams are both extremely talented, and with so much on the line for both teams, this one could’ve been a thriller.

We will never know what would really happen, but I, for one, think the Tigers match up very well with this Florida team. I believe that had this game been played, LSU would have topped the Gators, and rather easily. Here are five reasons why:

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

1. LSU Rushing Attack Vs. Florida Defense

Florida is known for having a fairly good run defense, giving up just 90 yards a game. That number is among the best in the nation, so many expected the LSU offense to have some trouble attacking the Gators on the ground.

But, all you have to do is look to their game against Vanderbilt last week to see that this Florida run defense is fairly overrated by their numbers. Against the Commodores, the Gators allowed running back Ralph Webb to run for 110 yards, and the Vandy offense broke off several big plays on the ground.

Derrius Guice is definitely more talented than Webb, and the LSU offensive line is no doubt better than Vanderbilt’s. I think the Tigers would have been able to produce on the ground, eliminating one of the strengths of this Florida team. 

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

2. Danny Etling Vs. The Florida Secondary

This is another matchup than many expected to benefit the Florida Gators. Florida’s secondary is loaded with talented and considered to be one of the best in the country, so LSU’s passing attack would be unable to move the ball down the field against them, right?

Wrong. Danny Etling may not be an elite quarterback, and the receivers may not be among the best in college football, but this team showed last week that they can effectively throw the ball when needed. In fact, they flashed the ability to use the passing attack as a weapon to move the ball down the field.

Against a team like LSU that is going to pick up yards on the ground, Florida was going to have to load the box in order to prevent the Tigers from dominating on the ground. That would have left LSU’s receivers on islands with the corners all day long, and Etling and the coaching staff would have been able to take advantage of the one-on-one matchups and piled up yards through the air.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

3. The LSU Run Defense

Florida has an elite backfield, utilizing four backs who can effectively take handoffs for multiple yards. The Gator offense is centered around an effective rushing attack, and they need to consistently pick up yards on the ground if they have any hope of a productive passing game.

It may be easy to run against the likes of Kentucky and Vanderbilt, but there is ZERO chance the Gators would have gotten anything resembling a rushing attack going against the LSU Tiger defense. LSU always has one of the biggest, baddest front seven’s in the SEC, making it very hard to dominate on the ground against this team.

This is a matchup LSU dreams about. A run-first offense against their dominant defensive front is an ideal scenario of the Tigers, and they would have certainly taken advantage of it.

4. LSU Secondary Vs. Luke Del Rio

Florida has taken an apparent step forward with their passing attack led by transfer quarterback Luke Del Rio, but it’s still the Florida Gators, and they still do not have the ability to consistently move the football through the air against good defenses.

This LSU defense isn’t good, they’re great. The boys up front would have an easy time stopping the rushing attack, forcing Florida to try to pass against an LSU secondary that has several future NFL starters on it. The Tigers have had one of the best pass defenses in the conference, and they put that on display last week against a statistically dominant passing team in Missouri.

Florida is a team that has struggled to compliment their defense and rushing attack with a good passing game, and this team is no different. Del Rio is better than what they’ve had in the past, but he would have struggled against this defense.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

5. Momentum

Last week against the Missouri Tigers, we saw this LSU come out and play with more passion and energy than we have seen from any team in quite some time. With the firing of Les Miles and a massive chip on their shoulders, the Tigers played out of their minds and dominated Mizzou.

After a 42-7 thrashing of a conference opponent, guilt from their coach losing his job, and one of the best motivators in the country in Ed Orgeron, I expected this LSU team to play with even more aggression this Saturday. Florida is certainly better than the Missouri team they played a week ago, but the will to win would have been the same.

With the four matchup advantages I gave you and the momentum the team has from losing their coach and a big win last week, the LSU Tigers would have taken it to the Florida Gators this weekend.

More from Death Valley Voice

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from LSU Tigers Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

LSU Tigers