LSU vs Florida Week 12 Preview

Erik Trosclair • November 14, 2024

Let's get into it.

Date & Time: Saturday, November 16th, 2024, 2:30 PM


Location: Ben Hill Stadium, Gainesville, FL


Spread: LSU -4


O/U: 55


TV: ABC


Saturday afternoon, LSU and Florida will meet for the 71st time on the football field. LSU leads the series 34-33-3. The Tigers had to vacate the 2013-2015 games. The 1st matchup between these 2 schools was in 1937, and the Tigers came away with a 19-0 victory.


Florida, 4-5, 2-4, is coming into its 7th SEC game of the season. The Gator offense is 12th in the SEC in total yards per game (383.3), 10th in the SEC in passing yards per game (232.2), and 10th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (151.1). The Gators have played 3 quarterbacks this season: Graham Mertz, Aidan Warner, and DJ Lagway. Mertz is out for the season, Warner is a redshirt freshman transfer from Yale, and Lagway injured his hamstring, but he may be back for this game. Florida will use multiple running backs. Jadan Baugh (411 rushing yards & 6 TDs), Ja'Kobi Jackson (343 rushing yards & 5 TDs), and Montrell Johnson Jr. (373 rushing yards & 4 TDs). Johnson Jr. is a bit dinged up. The top 2 pass catchers for the Gators are Elijah Badger (560 receiving yards & 2 TDs) and Chimere Dike (523 receiving yards & 2 TDs). The Gator defense is 15th in the SEC in total yards per game given up (401.4), 13th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up (216.6), and 15th in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up (150.8). The defensive line is led by Tyreak Sapp (3.5 sacks & 27 tackles), George Gumbs Jr. (3 sacks & 24 tackles), and T.J. Searcy (2 sacks & 24 tackles). The linebacker room is led by Shemar James (37 tackles), Grayson Howard (37 tackles), and Jaden Robinson (36 tackles). The defensive backfield is led by Trikweze Bridges (45 tackles), Jordan Castell (40 tackles & 5 PBUs), and Jason Marshall Jr. (4 PBUs).


LSU (#22), 6-3, 3-2, is entering its 6th SEC contest of the season. LSU's offense is 5th in the SEC in total yards per game (436.3), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (322.3), and 16th (LAST) in the SEC in rushing yards per game (114). Garrett Nussmeier is the leader of this Tiger offense. Nuss is in the top 12 in the nation in passing yards (2866), completions (235), and passing TDs (21), but he is tied for the 2nd most interceptions thrown in the nation (11). The Tigers will use 2 running backs, Josh Williams (250 rushing yards, 141 receiving yards, & 3 TDs) and Caden Durham (460 rushing yards, 202 receiving yards, 6 rushing TDs, & 2 receiving TDs). The top pass catchers for the Tigers are Kyren Lacy (46 receptions, 697 receiving yards, & 7 TDs), Aaron Anderson (39 receptions, 641 receiving yards, & 4 TDs), and Mason Taylor (43 receptions, 419 receiving yards, & 2 TDs). Lacy, Anderson, and Taylor are all in the top 12 in the SEC in receptions. Lacy and Anderson are in the top 8 in the SEC in receiving yards. Lacy is tied for the most receiving TDs in the SEC. The Tiger defense is 13th in the SEC in total yards per game given up (367.8), 10th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up (216.6), and 14th in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up (150.8). The defensive line is led by edge rushers Bradyn Swinson (8 sacks) and Sai'vion Jones (4.5 sacks). Swinson has the 4th most sacks in the SEC. The leaders in the linebacker room are Whit Weeks (89 tackles) and Greg Penn III (66 tackles). Weeks and GP3 are in the top 10 in the SEC in tackles. The defensive backfield is led by Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander. Stamps has the 4th most PBUs in the SEC, and Alexander has 2 INTs this season.


KEYS TO THE GAME

- Can the Tigers keep their playmakers involved?

- Can you stick with a game plan in this one?

- If DJ Lagway is back, can you contain him? If he sits, this is a perfect matchup for the Tigers.

- This Gator defense is one before last in rushing yards per game given up. You have to get something going on the ground.


Fun Fact: Florida coaches Russ Callaway and Jabbar Juluke have both been on LSU's football staff in the past.


Thank you for reading my article.


Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

A quick share helps us a lot!

Football player in red kicks as teammate kneels on field during game, crowd blurred in background

Transfer Portal Spotlight: Jackson Courville

By Patrick Harkness • August 20, 2026
K 
Jackson Courville- Ohio State 
He committed on January 12, 2026 (after entering the portal January 2) and is now on Tulane’s 2026 roster as a redshirt junior (#96, 5’10”, 185 lbs) from Centerville, OH (Centerville HS). 
Here’s why Courville aligns so well with the Green Wave program: 
• Proven Leg Strength and Clutch MAC Production
: In two seasons as Ball State’s starting kicker (2023-24), he went 26-of-34 on field goals (76.5%) and 54-of-56 on extra points. Highlights include a game-winning 52-yard FG as time expired vs. Northern Illinois (2024), his career long, plus multiple makes from 50+ yards. He was automatic inside 40 yards and showed the power and accuracy Tulane needs after the departure of standout Patrick Durkin. 
• P4 Experience and Fresh Start
: After battling for the job at Ohio State in 2025 (limited to just 4 XPs in one appearance), he brings valuable Big Ten reps and camp competition experience. Now at Tulane, he’s locked in a competitive spring battle with Cooper Helmke and Zach Marini. 
• Immediate Depth and Competition in a Reloading Unit
: Tulane aggressively addressed special teams via the portal after losing Durkin. Courville arrives as a high-upside veteran with two years of eligibility left, ready to compete for the starting job and provide reliable kicking depth right away. 
In short, Jackson Courville is a smart, high-character portal pickup who brings proven production, big-leg power, and built-in chemistry with the offense to a position group that needed reinforcements. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
Dagan Bruno football player in teal helmet, number 14, during action pose with name and stats graphic.

PWO Spotlight: Dagan Bruno

By Patrick Harkness • August 20, 2026
Dagan Bruno: The Local Walk-On Made Some Noise in Tulane’s Quarterback Room during Spring Camp Dagan Bruno is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt sophomore quarterback wearing No. 14 for the Tulane Green Wave. A Preferred Walk-On from New Orleans and John Curtis Christian School, the hometown product has steadily transformed from scout-team specialist into a legitimate competitor in the quarterback room under head coach Will Hall. Bruno arrived at Tulane as a late addition to the 2024 class after a standout multi-sport career at John Curtis. As a junior in 2022, he helped lead the Patriots to a Division I Select state championship and was named the most outstanding player in the title game. In his senior season he completed over 72 percent of his passes for 1,504 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception while adding 527 rushing yards and eight scores. A true three-sport athlete who also excelled in basketball and baseball, Bruno maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. At Tulane he redshirted in 2024 and spent the bulk of his first two seasons running the scout-team offense, particularly the triple-option looks used by Army and Navy. His experience in John Curtis’s split-back veer made him uniquely valuable in preparing the defense. Playing time was limited, and the lack of consistent reps tested his confidence. Everything changed in spring 2026. Bruno forced his way into the conversation with accurate, decisive play. In the final spring scrimmage he went 5-of-5 for 69 yards, capping the day with a perfect 40-yard touchdown strike down the sideline to Antwaun Parham. Coach Will Hall was emphatic in his praise: “You can win with Dagan Bruno. This is not some feel-good story anymore… Dagan can play. I love his competitive spirit. He’s a tough guy, a winner and a leader.” Bruno has made it clear he wants to shed the “option quarterback” label. “A lot of people tried to push me into being the option quarterback guy,” he said. “I’m trying to break away from that a little bit and become a real quarterback that can go out there and throw the ball around, make the right checks and just do everything right.” Heading into fall camp and the 2026 season, Bruno sits in a competitive four-man race alongside Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, Kadin Semonza, and true freshman Trace Johnson. While the early days of camp have been a mixed bag for him after his strong spring, his accuracy, athleticism, toughness, and local knowledge continue to make him a valuable piece of the room. Whether he earns the starting job, serves as a key backup, or provides package plays, the John Curtis product has already proven he belongs. For a preferred walk-on who stayed home and kept working when the spotlight was elsewhere, Dagan Bruno’s rise is a classic New Orleans football story, one that Green Wave fans should watch closely. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
Show More