LSU needs a win. Thanks to a bye week and two losses, LSU’s last win was almost a month ago. It was a 34-10 victory vs. Arkansas that came one week after upsetting a top-10-ranked Ole Miss squad. Things were trending up for a one-loss LSU squad.
A month later, the mood is different. A flat second half vs. Texas A&M followed by a 42-13 drubbing from Alabama has LSU needing to win out to match its win total from last year.
“No one is in a good mood,” Brian Kelly said, “The food doesn’t taste good. No one likes being around each other right now.”
That’s what a 42-13 loss can do to a team, especially one with LSU’s expectations. But Kelly acknowledged the SEC is still in play and the team knows it. A bad mood doesn’t mean morale is shot and Kelly said he liked the group’s preparation this week.
Here’s why LSU fans should be confident in a rebound vs. Florida.
They’ve been here before
LSU was in a similar spot last year. After the Alabama loss, the Tigers were out of the SEC race and playoff conversation. But three games were left on the schedule and LSU had to find something else to play for.
Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers set their sights on the Heisman and breaking records while Kelly said the team took pride in getting to 10 wins.
A core of this team was present for that last year and Kelly is a veteran coach. LSU doesn’t have the cheat code that was Daniels this year, but LSU has enough veteran leadership. Over the summer, Kelly said this was his most player-led team yet.
I don’t see LSU coming out flat and that aforementioned leadership shows up.
Florida gives Nussmeier a bounce back opportunity
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier hit a rough patch coming out of the half vs. Texas A&M The stretch continued into the Alabama game. Nuss struggled to complete passes and the interception issues persisted.
Kelly said Nussmeier was locked in at practice this week, hinting at a big performance from his QB.
Florida offers a reprieve from the stingy defenses LSU’s seen in recent weeks. The Ole Miss and Alabama defenses are among the best in the country and A&M isn’t that far behind. According to SP+, this is the LSU offense’s most favorable matchup since South Alabama on Sep. 28.
LSU usually responds well after a loss
Under Brian Kelly, LSU has a habit of responding to losses. Kelly is 7-2 coming off a loss with an average scoring margin of +19.7
One of those losses came last week, but I don’t see LSU dropping three in a row. There just isn’t much evidence saying LSU is about to hit a wall or fall off a cliff. LSU usually takes care of business against lesser teams, and at this point, UF remains in that category.
Kelly is 6-2 as an away favorite at LSU and I think the Tigers are prepared for the environment.