Jeff Driskel has been a revelation for the Gators.
He has made more big plays in the passing game this season than most expected he would.
With each game, he has shown an ability to evade pass rushers and a willingness to attempt more throws down the field than he did in 2011.
Driskel has also flashed his scrambling skills on numerous occasions. But he shouldn’t be asked to do any of those things on Saturday.
Florida will be facing one of the toughest pass defenses in the Southeastern Conference, and the UF coaches should place the onus on the running game.
Led by Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery and Anthony Johnson, the Tigers’ defensive line is too disruptive for opposing offenses to throw downfield effectively.
“They’ve got speed on the edges and power in the middle,” offensive coordinator Brent Pease said. “You can’t just sit back there at seven yards and expect to pass the ball every play.”
The numbers support Pease’s observations.
The Tigers rank sixth in the nation in passing yards allowed per game with 134.8. Regardless of the fact that LSU has yet to play a ranked opponent, that’s an impressive total.
They have also allowed just 4.6 yards per pass attempt, good for third in the country.
The highest-rated pass defense Florida has faced to this point is Kentucky, which ranks 30th nationally.
“They roll with two different groups,” Pease said. “They’re rolling seven, eight or nine guys at times, but their four-man rush really gets to you, so they don’t have to do a lot of blitzing and scheme-wise (to) try to mix it up on you.”
Pease believes moving the ball through the air will be a challenge against LSU, so the run-to-pass ratio must remain near the 2-to-1 mark it has been so far this season.
The Gators will need starting running back Mike Gillislee to play at the level he did against Bowling Green in Week 1, when he ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
If Gillislee is anything short of that, backups Matt Jones and Mack Brown will need to have their best performances of the season. Jones and Brown have averaged a combined 36 yards per game in 2012.
However, the players don’t think they will need a better-than-average effort from the rushing attack.
Center Jonotthan Harrison said LSU’s pass rush wouldn’t put any more pressure on Florida’s run game, noting that the Gators want to run the ball successfully no matter the opponent.
The running backs’ lead blocker, fullback Hunter Joyer, also said the Gators do not need any special performances.
“If all of them have a good game, we’d be pretty successful,” Joyer said of the running backs.“I don’t think one guy needs to step up. I think one of them will in the course of the game, but I don’t think we really need it.”
But they do need it.
To ask Driskel to carry Florida to a win against LSU would be unreasonable. Pease said that load might fall on the shoulders of Gillislee.
“If he needs to carry [the ball] 30 times this time, he’ll carry it 30,” Pease said. “If he’s got to carry it 12, he’ll carry it 12.”
Gators fans should hope Gillislee ends up with more than 12 carries.
If he doesn’t, it will mean Florida fell behind and never had a chance to play the run-heavy style UF needs to top LSU on Saturday.
Contact Josh Jurnovoy at jjurnovoy@alligator.org.
Running back Mike Gillislee (23) runs through the Kentucky defense during Florida's 38-0 win at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sept. 22. Florida faces the ninth-ranked rushing defense in the country in LSU on Saturday.
