Florida Football Out To End LSU’s Hold On Series

After both teams suffered blowout losses last week, the Florida Gators and the No. 21 LSU Tigers look to make things right Saturday when they face off at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

GAMEDAY! pic.twitter.com/I4mWjXWLo9

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 16, 2024

Disappointment In Previous Games

The Gators (4-5, 2-3 SEC) are coming off a game in which they felt they did not play to their standards on both sides of the football. They were defeated by the No. 3 Texas Longhorns 49-17 in Austin. Florida coach Billy Napier says his team knows it can play a lot better and is ready to show that Saturday:

Napier used the analogy of a “parachute” when he said his team pulled the parachute when adversity hit and it needs to improve the mindset:

LSU (6-3, 3-2), meanwhile, is also looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss. The Tigers were defeated by the Alabama Crimson Tide last Saturday 42-13 in Baton Rouge.

LSU coach Brian Kelly has a similar outlook on the current state of his Tigers. He said his team needs to focus on doing the basics and executing at a high level, especially in a place like The Swamp where it can be difficult to remain focused:

Injury Report

While there are several injuries for both teams, the biggest storyline of the game is the return of Florida freshman starting quarterback DJ Lagway, who took over for Graham Mertz after the veteran went down with an ACL tear in the loss to Tennessee.

Lagway played well until he suffered an injury of his own against the Georgia Bulldogs a couple weeks ago. Lagway practiced this week and is set to return, Napier said Thursday.

LSU at Florida Thursday injury report

QB DJ Lagway is not on the injury report pic.twitter.com/5enGV5O93e

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) November 15, 2024

The Odds

The Tigers open the game with a -3.5 point spread, according to ESPN, which gives them a 57.5% chance to win the game.

However, with the odds stacked against them, the Gators have their starting quarterback back and are out to end LSU’s five-game winning streak in the series. The Gators hold a 16-15-3 advantage in Gainesville, LSU leads the all-time series 34-33-3.

SOLD OUT!!! pic.twitter.com/w3YGdBwRc0

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 15, 2024

Game Time

The game kicks off from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with coverage on ABC, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.

Our Honorary Two-Bits for LSU will be UF Hall of Famer, Rex Grossman!

️: https://t.co/rizEDarN31#GoGators | #GatorMade pic.twitter.com/ZaJ7XideSl

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 12, 2024