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.


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Tight End Room Outlook: Revamped and Ready To Roll

By Kaden Arkeder • July 4, 2026
The tight end room has some fresh blood and they look poised to be more impactful heading into next season. With the new arrivals of Noah Fant and third round draft pick Oscar Delp the offense will have the ability to play more in multiple tight end sets to create mismatches for the defense. Multiple tight end sets should allow the Saints to improve the run game and conversely the play action game. Playing in tight end heavy sets was something they were unable to do more of last year due to injuries and lack of talent at the tight end position. Mainstay and the only returning starting caliber player is Juwan Johnson. Johnson had a good year last year as one of the few reliable targets in the passing game aside from Chris Olave. Johnson is looking to build on a solid year where he had 77 receptions for 889 receiving yards with 3 touchdowns. He was a security blanket when Rattler was starting and had quite a few big plays when Shough took over as the starting quarterback. With Shough coming into the season as the presumed starter I expect their connection to be even better next season. Someone hoping to have a better connection with a new QB is Noah Fant. Fant was a first round pick back in 2019 with the Broncos but has never quite lived up to his draft status. Fant will be playing on his third team in three years as he seeks to be a quality rotational piece in the offense and find stability for his career here in New Orleans. Fant should be utilized more in the passing game than in the running game but should be able to hold his own when called upon to do his part on run downs. Fant has been on a statistical decline since his time with Denver as his best receiving season came in at 68/670/4 back in 2021. Although his stats have been declining Fant still has plenty to offer with his athleticism and should produce more given a better opportunity. After Fant in the depth chart should be Oscar Delp who could be the x-factor of the tight end room after being selected in the third round of the draft this year. Delp brings a versatile option to the offense as he can lineup in various spots and handle the rigors of blocking in the run game. Delp’s calling card in college was his elite athleticism which jumps off the screen when you watch his tape. He has the ability to turn a five yard catch into an explosive play with how quickly he can get to top speed. Delp is an adequate, willing blocker where like most new tight ends in the league has room to improve in the blocking area of his game. With his versatility and athleticism I believe Delp will play a pivotal role in the offense this upcoming season. With Delp presumed to round out the depth chart at tight end the remaining tight ends will be competing for spots on the practice squad or spots on another team. This group includes Cody Hardy, Treyton Welch, Moliki Matavao, and Zaire Mitchell-Paden. We’ve seen Welch and Matavao from last season fill in admirably after some injuries but are best served as bench options at this point in time in their development. This group of roster hopefuls should hopefully provide some good competition from one another as we progress through training camp and preseason here shortly. Overall this group has a lot more promise heading into this season as it did last year. By getting younger and more athletic the tight ends will play a more prominent role in Kellen Moore’s offense. Whether it’s Juwan building on last season or Fant having a bounce back year or Delp proving to be revelation, the team is going to have plenty of options to choose from to attack the defense. Exactly what this team needed after not having enough last season.

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