After his players almost flawlessly executed a game plan against Auburn that many are calling a masterpiece, Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham celebrated Saturday night.
By watching tape of LSU’s offense.
That’s the way it goes in this league, with this Florida schedule. There is precious little time to reflect on success before moving on to the next challenge. And Grantham and his guys are staring at a gargantuan one in LSU’s high-flying, high-scoring offense.
Last week, Grantham had to devise a plan to slow down a balanced and potent Auburn offense that was coming off a 55-point game. Now comes the daunting task of trying to find a way to diffuse a LSU offense that is averaging almost 55 points (54.6) a game and 566 total yards a game, more than 400 through the air.
The trigger man is former Ohio State quarterback Joe Burrow, who has been lighting it up every Saturday. He’s completing 78.4 percent of his passes, has thrown 22 touchdown passes and is averaging 372.8 yards passing a game.
“He’ll be the best quarterback, obviously, we’ve seen so far this year,” UF coach Dan Mullen said. “He can make all the throws. He’s got experience. Playing in big games, that’s not new for him. He’s played in a bunch of big games. He’s got great skill players around him, you can see his trust in those guys to go make plays out there.
“And I think he’s just deceptively, really athletic. He can extend plays in the run game. If you’re going to give it to him, he’s going to take it. He’ll be a good challenge for our defense.”
Burrow is not the same quarterback the Gators faced, and beat, last season. And it’s not the same LSU offense, not even close.
LSU coach Ed Orgeron made a seismic philosophical shift offensively this past offseason when he hired Joe Brady away from the New Orleans Saints staff to coordinate the Tigers’ passing game. Brady has taken a physical, run-it-first offense and transformed it into a wide-open, potent passing attack that defenses have had no answers for so far this season.
Burrow is surrounded by explosive playmakers, the most lethal being wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase (a former UF commitment) and Terrace Marshall Jr. The three have combined for 73 receptions for 1,302 yards and 19 touchdowns. And there are many other options in the passing game. Nineteen different Tigers have caught passes this season.
This is nothing like the old-style, smack-you-in-the-face offense the Tigers used to run.
“For them, they’re looking at the players they have, probably like we do,” Mullen said. “You look at your roster, the talent on your roster, what fits that talent. They have a veteran quarterback that can really throw it. They have some great skill players on the perimeter. And they have a veteran offensive line. In that case, why not spread it around and try to go score some points.”
That’s what the Tigers are doing, in a big, breathless way.
Grantham and his guys are facing a difficult challenge. That’s why he started tackling it only hours after the big win over Auburn.
The Gators are well versed on what they’re facing.
“(Burrow) is obviously a talented player,” senior defensive tackle Adam Shuler said. “We see he’s a good player. We see that they’re talented. But there’s more than one way to skin a cat. So, we’re putting in a game plan, a way to stop it.”
They had a plan that stopped Auburn’s offense last week. This week’s game plan will have to be different because the Gators are facing a much different style of offense.
“They have conversions within the play,” Grantham said of the LSU offense. “They can convert routes relative to your leverage and things like that. The quarterback’s reads are a little more developed than last week. That part of it is a challenge. They’re kind of changing as the play goes on, whereas last week the changes occurred more pre-snap. Both offenses are effective, but this one is a little more challenging from the standpoint of the passing game and you have an effective quarterback who knows where to throw the ball and you’ve got good skill guys. We’ve got to play well.”
The Gators will have a plan. And the players will trust it, senior middle linebacker David Reese said.
“Oh, we’re just going to have to play our ball,” Reese said. “We’re not too worried about what they have to offer. We know they’re going to be an unbelievable team, unbelievable talent and that’s obvious, they’re a top-five team in the country. It’s basically based upon what we do, how we execute and Grantham is an aggressive coach, so we’re not going to wait on the offense to make decisions.”
Saturday
Who: No. 7 Florida (6-0, 3-0 SEC) vs. No. 5 LSU (5-0, 1-0)
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.
TV: ESPN
Radio: 103.7-FM, AM-850
Few gator fans were ”expecting” a Final Four appearance in the college football playoffs this season. So having said that, Florida beating Auburn was HUGE. Because now U.F. can lose to L.S.U. (I’m not saying they will), but then win the rest of the conf. games (please THUMP U.G.A.), and still go to the ATL representing the East!
Go Gators Just win baby!
Here’s hoping Greenard + Zuniga = Harvey + Moss, versus THE ohio state university circa 2007 BCS championship game.
C’mon- let’s be real. Who has LSU beaten? Texas is the only good team they have faced, I think. Statistically, they look good, but they haven’t really been tested. I wouldn’t say that Florida is a walk-over vs LSU, but I wouldn’t be giving up in the face of LSU’s supposed superiority. I’m looking forward to the game. Trask has trounced all three of the SEC teams he has faced (although Kentucky was only for 1 quarter).
What’s up, G? YOU, my man, are the voice of reason. As a resident of Baton Rouge, I hear all of the anti-Gator talk, the Gator hate, and the Gator envy all day everyday, 24/7. Believe you me-these fans hate UF almost as much as they hate Alabama. I can’t see how the Gators are 13 1/2 pt dogs but I digress. I have heard some of the players mention the disrespect but that’s good. Use that as motivation. The fans and players don’t believe that UF can come here and win. That night game crap is a big myth. I have FULL FAITH AND CONFIDENCE that CDM will have the guys ready to come here and win. That defense travels and when you have that you have a chance. I think Burrow will get harassed and get harassed often. I think the DB’s are ready & wiling to shut down Jamar Chase and show him that he should’ve stuck to his word and chosen Florida. I’m not going to attend the game as I will be at another venue but I will be watching on my phone. Us Gator fans here in the Red Stick are carrying that Blue and Orange flagstick, looking for the victory on Saturday. Let’s utilize Pitts more and run the ball. Their defense isn’t NEARLY as dominant as Auburn’s front so holes should be more than last week. 27-24 GATORS!!! GEAUXXX GATORS!!!!
Not living in the bayou but having spent a good amount of time on the Pearl at camps and oysterin’ in LaFouche, I can tell you where the hatred comes from. Imagine if you will being named for an animal that does not exist natively in your entire country, much less your own state. Then imagine you’ve got a monster hit show filmed in your state that is all about those amphibian creatures that another team is named for, that you believe is your birth right. LSU hates the Gators because they think the mascot is their birthright. They believe their field should be called the Swamp even though their faculty and coaches were never smart enough to come up with it.
Speaking of that, maybe their stadium should be called the Litter Box to go along with their pussy-cat mascot?
I would like to offer my assistance in renaming them to help them get over their being so butt-hurt over being named tiggers. I suggest the LSU Cajuns, or LSU Coonasses (this is NOT a derogatory nor “racist” term – ask people on the Pearl what it means). C’mon kitties, don’t be so feral like the hogs overrunning your swamps.
Go Gators! Eat Mo Tigger!
Hogtown:
I know of what you speak with regard to a “coon ass.” My first job was on a landscaping and maintenance crew at a development for which my Pops was the project manager. The heavy equipment operator was one Jimmy Kilgallon, a Louisiana native who referred to himself as the world’s only Irish coon ass.
Exactly Albert! Salt of the earth people, and tremendous fighters.
I have only his word for it, but old Jimmy claimed to have ridden out Hurricane Camille in his trailer back in ’69, winding up over a mile away from where he was before the storm.
I don’t know if trailers can float or he was exaggerating a just a little bit, but it was a whale of a story to hear.
I LOVE IT!!! Great take, Hogtown!!!! I’ll be sporting my #7 Weurffel Jersey to work tomorrow and have my flags flying in support of UF!! GEAUXXX GATORS!!!
Geauxxx Gators! One of my friends is on Swamp People and I cannot wait to call and rub it in!
Before anyone begins to signal their virtue, let’s remind the dumb asses among us that “coon ass” is not a racial slur in any way, shape or form, but rather a term of endearment affectionately applied to our brethren speaking a somewhat different dialect of English and hailing from Louisiana.
–Gator-6
Natchitoches 1974-1977 and damn proud of it
Hey Gator 6-$500 to anyone that you know who can pronounce ‘Natchitoches’ correctly (LOL). I’m pretty sure most people have written our Gators off already but I’m quietly confident that we can win this one. Wouldn’t it be great to once again silence all of them drunken coon asses?!?! That would be absolutely awesome!!! 27-24 good guys. GEAUXXX GATORS!!!
I’m with you pal. BTW, old timers pronounce it “Nag-dish” or “Nac-a-tosh”, while yankees call it “Nat-chit-o-chez”, but your everyday coon ass just calls it by its name — NAC-A-TISH.
Being career Army and an Army brat before that, I’ve lived all over the world — but that was the best place I ever lived, hands down. Know whad I mean, Verne?
Check your messages, got one for you in a couple of days.
“the litter box”. Best name I’ve heard yet.
Sorry, Louisiana Lafayette has beat them to that nickname. They have been the Ragin’ Cajuns since the days that they went by the name USL.