If the Gators hope to escape Baton Rouge with a second-straight Southeastern Conference East title, there’s two things they need to do according to head coach Jim McElwain.
The first: Florida has to win its first downs on both sides of the ball. UF quarterback Austin Appleby will need to avoid negative plays while the defense tries to contain the Tigers’ potent rushing attack.
“I really believe that’s gonna be important for us,” McElwain said on Wednesday.
McElwain’s second item is limiting turnovers.
Three turnovers, including a two fumbles and an interception during Appleby’s start on Saturday, didn’t cost the Gators a win against South Carolina. But McElwain said LSU will likely take advantage of those mistakes.
Though the two teams have nearly identical turnover margins, Florida has lost a total of 15 turnovers to LSU’s 14.
“That’s gonna be the key to everything,” McElwain said. “We’ve gotta do a good job of maintaining possession number one, but more than that we’ve gotta create some short fields defensively.”
UF forced to limit LSU’s dynamic running back duo:
LSU running back Leonard Fournette gets most of the hype, but the Tigers have a second rusher opening eyes this season.
Sophomore Derrius Guice has shredded opposing defenses this year.
His SEC-leading 8.72 yards per rush has helped him gain 97.89 yards per game, goof for fourth best in the conference.
Fournette’s been sidelined a few games with an injury, but the combo has still contributed to an LSU rushing attack that averages more than 230 yards per game.
McElwain has been impressed by the pair and said they remind him of Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy, all current or former NFL players who McElwain coached while at Alabama.
“I see the same thing,” he said. “These guys feed off of each other.”
Who is the real DBU?
By looking at the statistics, the debate about who the real Defensive Back University is leans heavily in Florida’s favor.
Florida’s secondary ranks first in the SEC in passing yards per game (155.1) and is limiting opposing quarterbacks to a conference-best 92.26 quarterback rating and 43.5 completion percentage.
To dig even deeper, UF has surrendered 108 touchdowns to LSU’s 117 since the start of the 2008 season. Over that span, Florida has recorded 148 interceptions to LSU’s 116.
And while the players have been known to argue over which school is really D.B.U., UF defensive backs coach Torrian Gray just wants his unit to settle it on the field.
“You’ve just got to go out and play,” he said.
Injury update:
Stopping LSU’s elite ground attack won’t get any easier with UF senior linebacker Jarrad Davis out of the lineup.
McElwain ruled Davis, who leads the team with 56 tackles, out against LSU.
The senior will miss a second-straight game because of an ankle injury, joining fellow linebacker Alex Anzalone (broken arm) on the sideline.
The good news for Florida: CeCe Jefferson is likely to play.
The defensive lineman was held out against the Gamecocks with a foot injury but returned to practice this week.
“(That’s) great to see,” McElwain said. “Just can’t tell you how excited I am about that.”
Questions, however, still remain along UF’s offensive line.
McElwain said offensive linemen David Sharpe and Tyler Jordan are questionable to play, with Jordan likely to assume a limited backup role.
That leaves UF needing younger linemen like T.J. McCoy and Kavaris Harkless to step up.
“Those guys, I got total confidence in them,” McElwain said.
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @pinakk12.
Coach Jim McElwain looks on during Florida's 24-10 win over Georgia on Oct. 29, 2016, in Jacksonville.
