Gators prep for wounded Tigers coming into Swamp
GAINESVILLE — A tempest is brewing in Baton Rouge, with LSU coach Ed Orgeron at the center of a rising storm of scrutiny and secondguessing.
Last November, the fallout from Hurricane Matthew would inspire the Florida Gators to stun Orgeron’s Tigers at home.
Today in the Swamp, a struggling LSU squad now looks to respond to a stunning loss last week to Troy and silence the criticism surrounding its coach.
Given the climate at LSU, UF coach Jim McElwain said the fiery Orgeron and his wounded Tigers are sure to bring more fuel than usual to a heated rivalry.
“These guys will be coming in here crazed, nuts, ready to go to prove all the naysayers [wrong.] … Our guys will be excited to play. Their guys will be excited to play,” McElwain said. “This is a good SEC rivalry.” This annual East-West SEC crossover game took an ugly turn last October.
Matthew’s path along Florida’s East Coast forced UF to postpone last season’s Oct. 8 home game despite LSU’s objections. The acrimonious negotiations led to a public spat between athletics directors, intervention by the SEC and a Nov. 19 game in Tiger Stadium instead of Gainesville. The Gators had the last word with a 16-10 upset win.
The bad blood has continued to percolate, with UF seemingly taking a jab scheduling LSU as its homecoming foe. This week, UF then announced former star pitcher Alex Faedo as the honorary Mr. Two Bits, less than three months after he led the Gators past the Tigers in College World Series final.
“Guys know,” LSU sophomore defensive end Rashard Lawrence said. “It means a little bit more this week.”
Today’s game could also dictate whether LSU can salvage its season.
The Tigers have made that much clear during a week featuring meetings upon meetings to sort out the mess.
There were two players-only meetings and private gatherings featuring Orgeron and team leaders, and also Orgeron, his coordinators and LSU athletics director Joe Alleva, who has faced criticism for naming Oregeron the team’s head coach last season.
“Laid out everything on the table, which direction we wanted to go, what’s going on, how to fix it,” Orgeron said. “It’s been a very positive week, looking forward to a very competitive football game.”
To compete with the No. 21 Gators (3-1, 3-0 SEC), LSU (3-2, 0-1) must improve its play up front.
The Tigers allowed more than 200 rushing yards in losses to Mississippi State and Troy. With the emergence of freshman tailback Malik Davis and the team’s offensive line, UF will look to capitalize.
“We had some time to watch them [on film,]” LSU senior end Christian LaCouture said. “It’s run, run, run, run.”
With rainy conditions expected in the Swamp, LSU would like to put the game in the hands of Gators’ redshirt freshman quarterback Feleipe Franks — a former Tiger commit just his fourth college start.
Franks’ inconsistency led McElwain to bench him during two games. Franks’ talent also is undeniable. But against LSU he will be without leading receiver Tyrie Cleveland, who suffered a high-ankle sprain during last Saturday’s win against Vanderbilt.
Franks also will be without a backup who has shown he can run McElwain’s offense. Graduate transfer Malik Zaire, a dual-threat quarterback, has not played since a seasonopening loss to Michigan.
“He’s got an arm. He can sling that thing down the field,” Lawrence said of Franks. “We’ve got to get pressure on him up front. That’s going to be crucial and not letting him be comfortable back there.”
Entering Saturday, no one the heat like Orgeron.
Unless things turn around, the Tigers, with four SEC road games remaining, face the possibility of a losing record for the first time since 1999.
“At the end of the day you don’t want to be the laughingstock of the SEC,” LSU sophomore linebacker Devin White said. is in feeling