Scouting LSU: Tigers Plan To Make Gators Miserable

Florida plays its first SEC game of the season against LSU Saturday. Let’s take a look at the Gators’ opponent from the Bayou.

Brian Kelly‘s No. 3 Tigers began their season 2-0 with wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech. But it wasn’t easy.

After LSU fell behind 10-3 at the half facing Clemson, it shut out the home team the rest of the way, taking the victory 17-10. Against LA Tech, LSU led the whole game, only allowing seven points in the fourth quarter for a 23-7 win.

On the other side, the Gators have not won in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, since 2016. ESPN currently has the spread at 7.5, favoring the Tigers. This sold-out game will be a tiebreaker, as the all-time series record sits at 34-34-3. 

Offensive Standouts

Fifth-year senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier leads the Tiger offense. He’s tallied 469 pass yards on a 68% completion rate. But last year, against the Gators, he threw 260 yards, completing 27 of his 47 passes.

After receiving All-SEC Freshman honors last year, sophomore running back Caden Durham continues to head the LSU rush game. He recorded 95 yards on 21 carries against Florida last time out and has 105 yards and one touchdown this season. 

In receiving, redshirt junior Aaron Anderson paces the Tigers with 172 yards. The 5-foot-8 wide receiver had 72 yards on seven catches in last year’s game against the Gators. 

The No. 2 pass catcher is senior Barion Brown. The Kentucky transfer has 13 receptions for 119 yards in his first two games in purple and gold.

LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green, a critical piece of the Tigers’ offense, was in the first SEC injury report of the season. He sustained an MCL sprain in the fourth quarter against LA Tech and was on the sideline with crutches and knee brace. He is now day-to-day. 

He recorded two receptions, 17 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against Clemson. Last year, he notched four touchdowns and 101 yards on 13 catches. 

Tight end Bauer Sharp is healthy, entering the game with six receptions for 26 yards. 

Star Defense

LSU’s defense is strong against the run, allowing only 89 yards on the ground to both Clemson and LA Tech. It should provide a challenge for Florida’s running back duo of Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson.

Linebacker West Weeks leads LSU’s defense with 13 tackles this season. He has recorded one tackle for loss and half of a sack. His brother Whit Weeks is also a top linebacker for the Tigers. This junior has five solo tackles and a total of seven with half a tackle for loss and half a sack.

Sophomore linebacker Davhon Keys is also up there with 11 total tackles and a quarterback hurry. He led the defense against Florida last year with five total tackles.

Redshirt sophomore Tamarcus Cooley leads the Tiger safety slot. He tallied five solo tackles and nine total in the first two games of the season. 

Lineback Harold Perkins Jr. has the most tackles for loss with two and also recorded one sack. Sophomore corner PJ Woodland is tied with Perkins for the most sacks this season.

Reunion After the Portal

Florida will see a few familiar faces on defense in Saturday’s contest: defensive end Jack Pyburn and cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson. Both former Gators transferred after the 2024 season.

In his three years in The Swamp, Pyburn played in 29 games and recorded 80 total tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception. This season, he has six assisted tackles, half a sack and half a tackle for loss.

The Jacksonville native departed from his home state after Florida and its NIL collective reportedly didn’t meet his financial demands. He wanted $45,000 per month and more snaps, in addition to a guaranteed start at outside linebacker and on third downs. 

https://twitter.com/LSUfootball/status/1965935421340475583 

Jackson is a 6-foot redshirt sophomore. After playing in two games in his second season with Florida last year, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury. While at UF, he recorded 11 total tackles with five of them being solo. He has seen limited playing time this season. 

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. on ABC and 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.

Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, NCAA, SEC