The Gators dropped their third SEC game of the season on Tom Petty night inside the Swamp. Gators fall to 4-3 (1-3 SEC) as they enter into their bye week.
Gator Country provides early takeaways from Florida’s 45-35 loss to LSU.
THE GATORS’ DEFENSE IS INEXCUSABLE
Where do I even start? The Gators were gashed for 528 total yards and 45 points by a team that ranked 8th in the SEC in total offense entering week seven. The Gators totaled just one sack against an LSU team that had allowed 21 sacks through six weeks.
The Gators were awful on 3rd downs once again, giving up 8 of 12 third down attempts and forcing just one punt in the contest.
LSU’s offense averaged 7.5 yards per play on 70 plays. Jayden Daniels averaged 10.9 yards an attempt and 15.2 yards per completion. Gators’ defensive backs displayed their worst performance of the year. Nobody in the room played with any aggression tonight. I thought Avery Helm showed the most spark, but everyone had inconsistencies to put it nicely.
Tackling was a major issue tonight. We saw veteran players fail to wrap up after what appeared to be a stop, and instead turned into a 4–5-yard gain. Just a poor display of tackling tonight; that can’t happen if you want to win games in the SEC.
I believe the issues tonight were a combination of scheme, lack of aggression, poor tackling, and a lack of talent. I don’t think it’s fair to place all the blame on Patrick Toney. I’ve stated many times this season that this Gators’ defense is a long-term project. However, all eyes are on Patrick Toney to get this turned around at some point down the road.
SPECIAL TEAMS IMPROVEMENT
This was the best game of the season for Florida’s special teams. Entering this week, Florida had just one kickoff return past the 25-yard line. The Gators had three tonight, thanks to Trevor Etienne. Etienne averaged 33.3 yards per return tonight, including the opening kickoff that he returned to Florida’s 48-yard line.
Jeremy Crawshaw continues to put together an impressive season. Crawshaw punted twice tonight for an average of 56 yards and a long of 62.
Rocco Underwood recovered a muffed punt tonight, displaying incredible hustle and determination. Florida recorded its first special teams’ takeaway since Nov. 27, 2021, vs. LSU, when Xzavier Henderson recovered a muffed punt in the third quarter.
Adam Mihalek was 5-5 on XPs and Trey Smack did his job on kickoffs.
The special teams unit did what they were supposed to and showed some spark in the process; that’s a step in the right direction.
GATORS DIDN’T TURN THE BALL OVER
For the first time this season, the Gators didn’t turn the ball over. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the Gators to win. If you told me before the game that the Gators won the turnover battle 1-0, I would have easily predicted a Gators victory. That wasn’t the case tonight. Nonetheless, this is a step in the right direction for the offense; they just need to do it consistently.
BILLY NAPIER
Here’s one thing I’ll say about Billy Napier: He’s not afraid to give other guys a chance if you aren’t performing well. Lorenzo Lingard saw his first significant game action tonight, while Nay’Quan Wright didn’t see the field. Wright started the season as the starting running back and had 44 carries entering this week. Wright just hasn’t played up to expectations and now appears to be 4th on the depth chart.
WR Caleb Douglas saw a few snaps tonight; he was in on a crucial 3rd down.
Kamari Wilson replaced Trey Dean early in the game after a few costly mistakes by Dean. Not many players on the defense have played well this season, so it’s difficult to pinpoint younger players deserving of more playing time. Wilson replaced Dean and was beaten several times tonight.
Trevor Etienne has taken over kickoff return duties because Xzaiver Henderson simply wasn’t producing.
Napier and his staff are willing to give their players multiple chances to succeed, but they’re also willing to make changes when necessary; that’s a breath of fresh air.
The Gators bye week is coming at the right time. They have a lot to work on ahead of their week nine matchup with the Bulldogs. Florida is set to play Georgia on October 29th at 3:30p.m.