The Opening Kickoff: Gators vs. LSU (Tom Petty Day)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To upstage a Florida-LSU matchup below the lights, you already know it needs to be one thing particular.

Tom Petty Day at The Swamp matches the invoice. The Gators are honoring the Gainesville native and late rocker with numerous occasions and merchandise on Saturday evening in a sold-out sport at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. And after all, the “I Won’t Back Down” custom on the finish of the third quarter can be rocking.

Bruce Petty, Tom’s youthful brother, stopped by the Gators’ headquarters along with his household on Friday for a tour of the power and to fulfill Coach Billy Napier.

“I’m a diehard Gator fan,” Bruce said this week. “I really feel like I play each Saturday.”

Meanwhile, Napier is no stranger to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

“Absolutely, I’m a fan,” he stated.

While Petty’s music lives on and his place as Gainesville’s favourite son is safe, the Gators would really like nothing greater than to honor his reminiscence with a victory over the Tigers.

Florida (4-2, 1-2) has misplaced three in a row to LSU (4-2, 2-1), together with the final assembly between the faculties at The Swamp, a 37-34 LSU victory within the fog through the COVID-19 season of 2020.

For extra on Saturday’s sport between the Gators and Tigers, right here is The Opening Kickoff:

 

THREE STORYLINES

• Both Florida and LSU enter the sport making an attempt to set the tone for the second half of the common season. Florida has received two in a row after shedding on the highway at Tennessee. LSU misplaced at residence to the Vols final week and appears to rebound. The sport carries further weight for the Gators contemplating they’ve a bye subsequent week, so heading into the matchup towards Georgia at 5-2 sounds a lot better than 4-3.
• For the primary time since 2005 when Urban Meyer and Les Miles have been in cost on the sideline — and solely second time ever — the annual Florida-LSU sport includes a pair of first-year head coaches in Florida’s Billy Napier and LSU’s Brian Kelly. Napier and Kelly have been employed to return the 2 Southeastern Conference powers to the highest of the standings and the winner on this one will get an early leg up.
• The quarterback matchup between UF’s Anthony Richardson and LSU’s Jayden Daniels is one to look at. Both gamers are dual-threat abilities who can change the sport with their arms or legs. Richardson has a measurement benefit, and Daniels has an edge in expertise. The key for Richardson is to restrict turnovers, which he has struggled with in his first 12 months because the starter.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH 

• Let’s begin the place we normally begin: Gators beginning quarterback Anthony Richardson, who got here off the bench in final season’s 49-42 loss in Baton Rouge to move for 3 touchdowns and 167 yards. Richardson’s efficiency towards the Tigers a season in the past introduced his presence within the passing sport. However, Richardson has been up and down throwing the ball in his first season as Florida’s starter. He handed for less than 66 yards in final week’s win over Missouri after throwing for 693 yards the earlier two video games. The Gators seemingly will want extra from Richardson on Saturday evening than what he produced final week.
• On the flip facet, Florida’s speeding sport took over within the second half of the Missouri win and produced 212 yards. Richardson’s 32-yard run was arguably the most important offensive play of the sport and beginning tailback Montrell Johnson Jr., a New Orleans native, rushed for 86 yards and a rating on eight carries. Johnson is due for an additional 100-yard sport — he had 103 within the win over USF — and may get some early touches in an try to ascertain the run sport.
• Keep a watch on a pair of linebackers on this one: Florida’s Ventrell Miller and LSU’s Micah Baskerville. Miller had 11 tackles towards Missouri and Baskerville posted a career-high 15 tackles within the loss to Tennessee.

FIVE DIGITS

518.0 – Average yards per sport for Gators within the final three conferences towards LSU.
6.4 – Yards per rush for the Gators, which ranks third amongst FBS groups.
27 – Number of factors which have separated Florida and LSU of their final six conferences at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
9 – Consecutive journeys to Florida that LSU has began a distinct quarterback since JaMarcus Russell (2004 and ’06).
11 – Runs of 10 or extra yards for Gators operating backs Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne.
 

INJURY REPORT

GATORS — OUT: LB Diwun Black (decrease physique), CB Devin Moore (higher physique), LS Marco Ortiz (higher physique), TE Nick Elksnis (higher physique); QUESTIONABLE — TE Arlis Boardingham (higher physique), OL O’Cyrus Torrence (decrease physique); PROBABLE: OL Michael Tarquin (decrease physique). LSU — OUT: S Major Burns (neck), RB Armoni Goodwin (hamstring), CB Sevyn Banks (backbone), OL Garrett Dellinger (knee), WR Chris Hinton Jr. (shoulder, out for season), CB Raydarious Jones (suspension, out for season), DL Maason Smith (knee, out for season); QUESTIONABLE: OL Will Campbell (sickness); S Matthew Langlois (leg).
 

NOTES FILE

• This is the 69th all-time assembly between the faculties; Florida holds a 33-32-3 benefit, together with 16-14-3 at Florida Field.
• LSU owns a plus-seven benefit in turnover margin within the final two video games towards the Gators.
• Tigers cornerback Mekhi Garner and receiver Kyren Lacy performed at Louisiana for UF coach Billy Napier earlier than transferring to LSU.
• Former UF offensive line coach Brad Davis, who was with the Gators in 2017, is LSU’s O-Line coach.
• The Gators have allowed solely 4 sacks in six video games; in the meantime, LSU has surrendered 21 sacks via six video games.
• Gators kicker Adam Mihalek is 5-for-9 on discipline targets after lacking a pair final week; UF opponents have made 9 of 11.
• UF safeties Rashad Torrence II (49) and Trey Dean III (43) have mixed for 92 tackles at midseason.
• The 32 completions for LSU’s Jayden Daniels final week towards Tennessee have been the third-most in program historical past.
• LSU coach Brian Kelly, in his thirty second season as a collegiate coach, has by no means confronted Florida. He left Cincinnati for Notre Dame previous to the 2010 Sugar Bowl wherein Florida defeated Cincinnati 51-24.
• Gators offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrance‘s 42-game streak within the beginning lineup is in jeopardy; Torrence is listed as questionable with a lower-body damage.

 BOTTOM LINE

Florida-LSU is greatest below the lights and when each groups are ranked, within the hunt for a nationwide championship. This one is an evening sport at The Swamp between a pair of applications constructing for the long run. Still, it is Florida-LSU, one of many SEC’s most entertaining rivalries. Florida is a slight favourite at residence and might win three in a row for the primary time this season. The Tigers are snarling after a 27-point residence loss to Tennessee final week. Expect this one to be shut, a pricey mistake right here and there for either side, however a Gators win in the long run. The homefield benefit on Tom Petty Day at The Swamp will assist the Gators’ trigger.