Florida football returns to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this weekend to host the LSU Tigers in a long-time Southeastern Conference rivalry that has lost little luster over the years.
The Bayou Bengals come in ranked 22nd in the US LBM Coaches Poll following a devastating loss at the hand of the Alabama Crimson Tide last weekend. Much like the Gators, the Tigers have suffered quite a few injuries though they still have their starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier under center.
Meanwhile, the Orange and Blue are on their third-string walk-on redshirt freshman signal-caller.
Ahead of this Saturday’s SEC action, the Gators Wire crew assembled to offer their individual takes on the Week 12 matchup between Florida and LSU. Take a look below at our respective takes.
Outcome may hinge on who controls the tempo
Both teams are coming off a disappointing loss and I expect the Gators and Tigers to come out dialed in, particularly on defense. If Florida has any desire to reach a bowl game this season, this has to be a victory because it’s going to be extremely tough to beat Ole Miss next week.
Florida has some question marks at the quarterback position. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] said that [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] has been practicing but we still don’t know how likely it is that he will play on Saturday. In my opinion, without Lagway, this has a Gators loss written all over it.
For Florida to succeed, they’ll need a balanced approach on offense and a solid defensive performance to keep LSU’s receivers in check. Ultimately, the outcome may hinge on who controls the tempo and wins the turnover battle. That’s if this game is somewhat competitive after all. — Aidan Gallardo
LSU 31, Florida 21
Gators have chance of victory if Lagway plays
Once again, there is a heavy “if” hanging over the football team in the form of Lagway, whose condition appears to be good enough to take reps in practice but still touch-and-go as far as risking real-time action. That really puts a wrinkle in these predictions — especially with all of the other injury attrition the team has faced.
If the five-star freshman can even take a quarter or a third of the reps, I think the Gators have a good chance of sneaking out a victory in the Swamp — as long as everyone keeps their shoes on. LSU is also coming off a brutal conference loss and has a long list of injuries as well, so it might be a good time to hunt the Tigers.
However, since Napier’s job is already secured regardless of the season’s outcome, and the risk vs reward with the future of the program simply does not work in favor of playing DJ. Florida will fall short of victory after missing out on key scoring opportunities while the defense spends too long on the field and ends up breaking in the second half. — Adam Dubbin
LSU 27, Florida 21
A change of fortune and a win against LSU
Lagway wants to go and I think he knows this team needs him back on the field. That’s not to say Napier will rush his five-star quarterback back, but rather to point out that a return feels more likely than it did a week ago. In fact, the Gators could get several starters back this week if Napier’s comments on Monday can be read into.
If Florida can get RB Montrell Johnson Jr., CB Devin Moore and OL Damieon George Jr. back, a win at home feels possible. Getting back DB Asa Turner would also be a big addition to a laboring defense, but he’s been questionable for a few weeks and hasn’t played since the season opener against Miami.
Week 11 was the week everything went wrong for Florida, so I’m predicting a change of fortune and a win against LSU. — David Rosenberg
Florida 27, LSU 24
How to watch Florida-LSU on Saturday
The Gators host the Tigers in college football’s Week 12 on Saturday, Nov. 16. The SEC matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
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