GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we bring you our Friday prediction podcast for the Florida Gators vs. LSU game on Saturday.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down their keys for both teams on offense and defense in Saturday’s game, plus we talk about the visitors expected in Gainesville on Saturday.
Andrew and Nick also give you their three players to watch in the game on Saturday, plus pick several games around the country.
TRANSCRIPT:
Andrew: What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, this week flew by. It’s Friday. LSU time. Let’s go.
Nick: Big week. It’s undefeated #5 ranked LSU versus a 4-1 Florida. Gators are feeling good about themselves, having won back to back games on the road, including at Mississippi State last week in the Mullen Bowl. Big game. I think it’s a big game for a number of reasons. Obviously, with it being #5 team. I’ve been doing a bunch of Louisiana and Baton Rouge and New Orleans radio this week, and all of them have asked me is this a rivalry game? I wanted to ask you that.
Andrew: I think it’s turned into it. Someone asked me that too this week. They said, Florida’s not the rivalry that it is between LSU and Alabama or LSU with even Arkansas in the past. I said, I think that used to be the case, but every since that hurricane fiasco, this is a rivalry, and it’s a hated rivalry between one another. It goes from the top of the chain in Scott Strickland and Jeremy Foley before to the top of the chain over at LSU. It goes all the way to the players. This is a rivalry. There’s no love lost. Especially with some of the recruits Florida’s been able to take away from LSU, that LSU’s been able to take away from Florida at the last minute. This is a rivalry, Nick.
Nick: That’s what I said. I said I don’t think it’s the same level as Florida-Tennessee, Florida-Georgia, or Florida-FSU, but I would probably put it at four now. Now, I would put Miami ahead of them, but that’s an every year kind of thing. I think, if we’re talking about it next year, when Florida opens in Miami and we’re previewing that game, I’d probably say I think this Florida-Miami game is more of a rivalry, just because of the history, than Florida-LSU. I say it is a rivalry.
Andrew: See, I say it might even be more than Tennessee lately, just because of how bad Tennessee has been.
Nick: I still think, when I’m thinking of rivalries, it’s not just how competitive it is. I think a Florida fan would take a loss to LSU better than they would take a loss to Tennessee. That’s kind of how I look at it when I think in terms of rivalry. Do you hate, hate, hate that school? Do you hate everything about them, their colors, losing to them, their fight song?
Andrew: Right. I’m with you.
Nick: We talk about Tennessee it’s damn Rocky Top, that creamsicle orange, their hillbilly fans. I think there’s more of a respect with LSU than there is with the other schools. I’m sure I’ll get tweets on Friday saying you’re wrong, I don’t respect them. But I think there’s more of a respect factor between LSU and Florida than there is against Florida and Tennessee.
Andrew: I’m with you on that. It’s just for me I think it’s a personal thing. Not me personally, but it’s a personal thing for Florida with the way the whole hurricane thing went about and all of that. I think that’s a personal factor. I’ll say this though, Nick. This might be the most physical rivalry.
Nick: Yes.
Andrew: This dates back to Urban and even Spurrier. I mean, you go back to the Urban games where LSU converted six 4th downs, or you had Florida converting the 4th downs. The Tebow phone calls. This is a physical rivalry more so than anything.
Nick, I think the thing that it is for this game in general is we talked about the Tennessee game about the swing that can happen afterwards for that team to go downhill. I think this one is opposite, the swing of who goes uphill for this. A win for Florida here in this game. I mean, the Georgia game, that’s the game, no doubt about it, for the East. To think about where you go in the polls, where you go in the national perspective, where you go in the recruiting. That’s huge. For LSU, everything is on the line for them as well. If you look at it, they still got a chance for the College Football Playoff. You and I both know they’re not beating Alabama. To be undefeated for them, it’s an uphill thing for them.
Then my question to you, Nick, is a loss for them, and their schedule gets tough very quick. They could easily go from zero losses to three losses here very quick with Georgia and Alabama.
Nick: Yeah. Geez. No love for LSU in the schedule maker. I mean, Alabama is getting some duds from the East, and LSU gets Florida every year, and then draws Georgia next week. Not even a bye week to deal with Georgia. You look at that, certainly a tough schedule. You get Florida, Georgia. Mississippi State, that’s always a tough game for them, because they’re kind of matched up the same way, physical defense. And then Alabama.
To me, Florida and LSU always play each other tight, play each other close, but probably more for Florida to gain and more for LSU to lose when you look at the schedule and where it lies now. Do you agree with that? Obviously, Florida is thinking, win this game and somehow beat Georgia, and maybe we can sneak into Atlanta. If you do the impossible and beat Alabama, we’re a one-loss team who has a win over Alabama. Do we sneak into the Playoff? I don’t think that Florida is a playoff team. I’ve said that all year long, but if you’re in the building, that’s probably what you’re thinking.
Andrew: Listen, this is my thing. I may take some heat for this, and that’s fine. Whatever. If you go into this season, and I’m going back to what we talked about before the season, and that is show improvement. For me, last week was an improvement. Showed me this is a different football team than last year. If you go in, and you win this game, on a national stage, 22 versus 5 in the Swamp, you win it, it’s such big for recruiting. It’s big to show you’ve improved as a team. Not that you didn’t beat LSU before, but to beat them after a big win last week is something that hasn’t happened in a while at Florida. Usually you come off a big win and sink the ship there. For me, it’s that, and it’s getting back on the national stage.
I agree with you in that there is just so much for Florida to win. What Orgeron has at LSU is always going to be a dumpster fire, no matter what he does. He wins a National Championship, the next year he turns around and loses five games, people are going to want him out. That’s just the nature at LSU with Orgeron. It’s 50/50 of love and hate for him. For Florida, everything is uphill for them right now under Mullen. This is just another step. I know people are saying, how many steps do you take? Well, there’s a lot of steps this program has to take to get back. This is another step.
Nick: Yeah. Especially coming off of last year, the way you lost that game. It was so odd for Eddy to miss a point after. I think that was the only one he missed last year. Did he miss two last year?
Andrew: I think. One was blocked, right?
Nick: Yeah. There was one blocked. I’m pulling it up right now. The way you lost last year, and Lamical Perine said it, it’s walking away from that game we know we could have won. We know we should have won. Just something that small, to have it be the difference. Eddy missed two last year he was 24 of 26 and 32 of 32 the year before. Something that small. I think that’s probably my thoughts on the rivalry to begin. It’s just a point after.
This game is always so close, and I think it will be again this year, because when we look at these two teams, they’re very similar. This defense, maybe not the physicality that you had in the team last week at Mississippi State, but looks just like you. You’ve got a lot of speed. You’ve got very good cornerbacks. You’ve got some guys that can hit. On offense, it’s kind of the same thing. You’ve got a game manager quarterback, which nothing wrong with that. You’re going to want to run the ball. I keep saying that about Florida, and at what point do we have to stop saying that about Florida? I think you’ve got to be able to run the ball. I think two teams that are very alike, and that’s what leads to close games, when you have two teams that are trying to do the same thing and are very similar.
Andrew: Right. You say you keep mentioning the run game. That’s key. That’s key for any good football team, to be able to run the ball consistently and run the ball to set up the pass. You think about any good team, Nick, you can’t be one-sided. You can’t be one-dimensional, and that goes for this team. Listen, this is no knock on Feleipe Franks whatsoever, but, once again, Feleipe is still growing as a quarterback to put the pressure of him winning the game solely on him isn’t fair to him, and it’s not good. That is another key for him.
Here’s my thing, Nick. I’m very interested to see what Mullen does this week. I don’t expect the stand passes and the screens to be there. Not early on. I just don’t expect LSU to come out playing six, seven, eight yards off the ball.
Nick: That’s exactly where I was going to come at you with my next question. Let me ask you real quick, because we’ll talk about this for a couple minutes, I think. Last week, I don’t think it was the game plan. I don’t think the game plan going in was we’re going to be able to do this, because you had some older corners and guys that Dan knew. He didn’t necessarily know that they were going to be playing off coverage all game.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: Once you start to see it, it’s just they’re giving this to us. Keep going back to it. If they’re giving you something, you keep calling the same play. Hey, we’re calling the same play again.
Andrew: Second and four, you’ll take that every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Nick: Absolutely. The way that Florida plays with their corners, and you can’t watch them, one guy, normally the guy on the field side for Florida, will be off, and the guy on the boundary will be press, because, obviously, if you’re on the boundary you’ve got another defender in the sideline. So, that gives me a little more room. If you’re field side, and you don’t have that, you’re on the wrong side of the hash, play a little boundary. It helps the guy there. I think LSU it doesn’t matter, field or boundary, these guys are going to be pressing. That does not lend itself to the same success you had last week in those screens, those stands, those bubble passes.
Andrew: Right. Here’s my thing to that.
Nick: What do you attack this week? Now you’re going to have to tell your wide receivers, you’re going to have to win. You’re going to have to win those one on one matchups, because it’s going to be there.
Andrew: Here’s my thing, for me. Take a shot across the middle and slants. Start working that slant. That’s been, I’m thinking of the word I’m trying to use, but it’s been an improvement for this team overall. I think it’s been something that’s worked for this team at times as well. Then here’s another thing, Nick. If your receivers are beating them off the line, you can take some shots deep. That’s when you’re working into Feleipe’s hands, taking some shots deep. Here’s the thing for that. You start taking some shots deep and hitting those, stand passes become open very quick. You’re not going to allow Feleipe just to stand back there and allow your receivers to beat him off the line of scrimmage and get easy touchdowns. If that’s the case, it’ll be a long day for LSU.
My thing is attack the middle of the field, and then take some shots deep. If that starts to happen, you loosen up that defense. It’s kind of like we talk about every week, and that is you have to loosen the defense up. I think doing that will be taking some shots deep and being able to run the ball, maybe more up the middle a little bit, to where you’re backing the corners up a little bit to have the corners help in run support.
Nick: That’s another thing. That’s, I think, the challenge that LSU brings. You think that they should be able to run the ball, and I get you don’t have Guise or Fournette, but this is a team and a coach in Ed O. that that’s their identity, and that’s what they want to be.
Andrew: I think it has to be.
Nick: To me, if you’re playing man, I think it’s easier to run on man than run on zone. Florida’s going to be playing a lot of man too, so then it comes down to your linebackers making tackles, your safeties coming up and supporting in the run game. Talked about Shawn Davis on Wednesday and how important he is to have back. Then also, not getting lost on the defensive line. Not getting lost and getting upfield and running yourself out of a play.
Andrew: Here’s the thing too. This is where we talked about this, I think on Wednesday, either Wednesday or Monday, and I said I thought the tight ends and the running back position would be key as well this weekend, because if Florida is able to get the ball to Lamical or Jordan Scarlett or Damien Pierce out of the backfield throwing the ball, are able to get the tight ends involved, that’s where you start taking advantage of it. Not that I think that LSU’s linebackers are better in coverage than Florida’s are. It’s still a linebacker versus a running back. You should like your chances in that every time.
Nick: I agree with you there, for sure.
Andrew: Then, when you look back to talk about Florida on defense, got to tackle. Got to play your gaps. Play fundamental ball. Again. If you can put pressure on Joe Burrow and make him make decisions like Nick Fitzgerald did under pressure, I think that’s where you’re going to get some turnovers. I think that’s where this game can be won or lost. We talked about this the other day. Florida one of the top teams in the country as far as starting field position. Keep that momentum going. Special teams can do that and creating turnovers can do that as well. Joe Burrow, just like Feleipe, doesn’t do well under pressure. Is what it is. We’ve talked about it.
We talked about it with James on Wednesday. Get the pressure off the ends against those tackles. It looks like Charles is going to play left tackle for them, still he’s coming back from an injury, probably not 100%. Looks like their center is going to try to give it a go. Definitely know he’s not 100%. You test that. Try to get the pressure on Burrow and force those guys into 3rd and longs. You like your chances against Burrow in 3rd and long with Florida bringing pressure.
Nick: Yeah. Joe Burrow completing just a little bit over 40% of his passes when he’s facing pressure, so I think that’s a really big key. You brought up just there, James Moran brought it up when we talked to him on Wednesday about the offensive line and the issues there. To me, and it’ll be seen in our picks later, to me Florida’s biggest asset or their position group right now, to me, is that defensive line, specifically the edge rushers with Zuniga and Polite and Cece Jefferson. If you can get pressure on Joe Burrow, I feel very good about LSU, or feel very good about Florida playing this game.
If you can’t, and you’re going to give Joe Burrow time, David Wunderlich was talking about it on Twitter and on our message boards, it’s such a vanilla offense for LSU. It’s almost like you know what they’re going to run. It’s just that they’re putting themselves in good positions to where it doesn’t matter. They don’t need to be exotic. They don’t need to do this stuff.
They get a lot of defensive pass interference calls. It almost seems like they’re throwing these deep balls knowing that we’re probably not going to complete this, but our receivers are just good at getting flags. That’s something probably receivers talk about and receiver coaches coach. Listen, if we’re throwing a 50/50 ball, this is how you can move your body to where it will either be a pass interference or look like a pass interference, and we’ll be able to get a call.
Andrew: Right. In a game like this, as close as this is, flags are going to be a key. Who is the more disciplined football team is going to be a team there. My thing, Nick, Joe Burrow has faced the crowd at Auburn, so he’s battle-tested as far as that goes. Florida will be much louder than Auburn will be, but that’s a factor as well, getting him and getting the crowd putting Burrow in situations where he has to try to communicate with this team and cause those false start penalties, cause those penalties that Florida had on the road at Tennessee, on the road in Starkville. So, continue to do that. Again, we say this in baseball all the time, and that is know who is in trouble. Know who the pressure is on. LSU is on the road. Put the pressure on them.
Nick: That’s something big. This is one of those games where you kind of need to set the tone early, and early as in first drive, second drive. First drive on offense, don’t go out there and have a three and out or five and out.
Andrew: That’s something Florida has been good at on the first drive.
Nick: Been very good on the first drive. They have back to back games without a three and out.
Andrew: Yeah. That’s something they’ve been very good on the first drive. Maybe not scoring every time, but definitely taking time off the clock and kind of letting the defense settle in a little bit, letting the offense settle in a little bit. Again, I don’t think you can ever take this and say enough about this, but the longer you can put any defense out on the field, the better off you are in late game situations, fourth quarter, third quarter even at times. Keep that defense on the field. It’s going to be hot in Gainesville on Saturday.
Nick: It’s going to be hot. It’s been hot. It’s gotten a little bit cooler, but it’s definitely going to be muggy. If you’re a lady, your hair is probably going to get a little frizzy, because the humidity is not going to be nice. LSU is used to that, but it’s harder to play when it’s hot and not great conditions then when you’re losing, and you got people yelling at you.
Andrew: Right. Exactly. For me, Nick, that’s the keys for me. Find a way to run the ball on offense, and on defense play sound fundamental ball. Put pressure on Burrow. Don’t allow Brossette and the running game of LSU to take over. If you allow that to happen, like Kentucky, that’s when you get a long, long day.
Nick: Especially with a team like LSU. You cannot let that happen.
Andrew: Exactly. What’s your keys?
Nick: My key. I almost feel like a broken record, because I say it every week, but my key is really for Florida it’s special teams. Not just necessarily specials in terms of you need to have a punt return and touchdown or kick return touchdown or block something, but Florida, I’m still not a huge fan of the offense. I don’t think it’s an offense that is going to routinely put up 30 points a game yet, so you’ve got to win the special teams in terms of field position. That’s Tommy Townsend flipping the field. That’s having good coverage on kickoffs, so that you’re not letting LSU start at their 40 or their 35. I think you really need to win that field position battle. I really see this game Saturday as a close game. A game of attrition really, where you’re trying to just wait the other team out and bleed a team out.
Andrew: Okay. Again, I get that. I see that.
Nick: I agree with yours. I was just kind of adding that on.
Andrew: I don’t think you’re wrong in saying special teams. Any big game is special teams. You look at last week. Was there one special teams play that stood out? No, but you had two really good field goals that were good, that were keys to the game, and you pinned Mississippi State inside their 15 three times.
Nick: That’s huge.
Andrew: Any time you can pin an offense that struggles, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you LSU’s offense has been a struggle bus. It’s not. It’s had its times, its moments, but it’s struggled for the most part, outside of Ole Miss, who, Nick, I think you and I can score at least 20 against. Make them go 85 yards consistently. Make them go 80 yards consistently. They’re not going to do it. They’re not going to score 40 points by doing that. So, all those little things that kind of combine and go up to that.
On kickoff, everyone has talked about the new rule of you can be able to have a touchback if you fair catch it inside. A lot of teams haven’t taken advantage of that. Florida’s stopped their opponents inside the 20 on kickoffs several times. Heading into the year I was one of those that said why even have kickoffs anymore, because it’s always going to start on 25. Teams are not taking advantage of that, and that’s been a key for Florida.
Nick: That’s a big thing for Florida. Another key, I think I would really like to see the running game get going. We said it last week. Actually, I think it kind of came true last week, because we said you need to run to throw against Mississippi State, and you added use that passing game, that short passing game, as an extension of the run. I think that’s exactly what those screens and those stand passes were, just an extension of the running game. I think you need to do that again. I don’t think you’re going to be able to go about it the same way as you were last week, but you’re going to need, I think, to establish the running game against LSU.
Andrew: Again, there’s different ways of doing things like that. Go with the swing pass to your tailbacks. Hit some slants across the middle, some crossing routes. Maybe even some curl routes, stick routes, to your tight ends. Do that sort of thing to loosen up the defense for the running game. There’s several ways to get your running game going or extensions of the running game. You and I talk about it all the time.
I’m going to throw something out at you, Nick. We haven’t seen a ton of play action shots for this team. Wouldn’t be surprised if this weekend isn’t one of the first times you see that.
Nick: You’re setting it up, because you haven’t been doing it. So, you’re setting it up, for sure.
Andrew: Exactly. Anyway, we want to talk recruiting before we do our picks, or you want to do picks first?
Nick: We’ll keep our regular schedule. Recruiting. I know it’s a monster week, so hit me with it. What are the highs? What are the highlights?
Andrew: I think the big thing for me, Nick, first of all, let me say this. While the 2019 list this weekend is monstrous, that 2020 list is insane. Let me just hit you with the first two big names. Those are the two five-star Trinity Christian DBs over there in Jacksonville in Fred Davis and Miles Brooks. Both of those guys are monster, monster guys, and two guys that are favoring Florida. So, let me just hit you with those two 2020 names. Again, that 2020 list is monster. People say, that’s 2020. This time next year, you’re going to be glad you got those guys on campus as well.
Let me hit you with the first official visitors first. You got four coming in. One of them is the commit in Jaden Hill, but then the other three are big ones. Two main ones, Nick. Lewis Cine, the safety out of Texas is coming in. Going to announce here soon, next couple of weeks. Georgia is the favorite coming in. They’ve recruited him hard, but he’s always said he wanted to visit Florida before he made a decision. Nick, I’m going to say this, and I think you’ll agree with me here. He’s going to walk on campus, and he’s going to see some playing time at safety. Would you agree with that.
Nick: Sorry. I was sitting there muted letting you do your thing.
Andrew: You’re good.
Nick: I agree with that.
Andrew: I think he comes on and sees that playing time. He’s that, and they’ll put the pressure on him, all that good stuff. Then the receiver, Elijah Higgins, out of Texas. Got family in the state of Florida. Coming in Stanford kind of looks like that favorite, but we all know how that can be with a win and that good stuff. You can easily get the momentum back in your favor. Again, I don’t think it’s very much of a favor for Stanford, but a little bit of a favor there.
Then the last one is Alabama defensive end commit Byron Young out of the state of Mississippi. Got connections to Mullen, obviously. Listen, Bama is not going to be able to hold on to all their defensive line commits. Florida has already hosted one. They host this one this weekend. Got to like your chances of at least being in the mix for one of the two.
So, big official visits for those four guys. When you talk about this weekend, Nick, having those two guys out of Texas this weekend, they’re going to see an atmosphere like they haven’t seen before.
Nick: Especially when we talk about the home schedule this year, if I’m Dan Mullen or Hevesy or anybody talking about when do we want guys to come on an official visit, you look at the schedule, and you say, right here. This week. October 6th, that’s when we want people in the stands. Because it should be a huge game. I anticipate by the time you guys are listening to this, we tape on Thursday, I anticipate by the time you guys are listening to this that Florida announces that they will be sold out. I expect a great atmosphere all day Saturday, especially by 3:30. Get your butt in the seats for kickoff. Don’t make that first sweeping camera look look bad and then show up by the second quarter.
Andrew: Exactly. Let me highlight a couple of unofficial visitors, Nick. Probably the biggest one is expected, still a question mark, but most likely coming in, is Auburn offensive line commit Keiondre Jones. Cousin of Emory. Committed to Auburn, but, again, he didn’t have a long relationship with Florida before he did that. Florida is still talking to him. Gus Malzahn is blowing his phone up trying to get him to stay home this weekend, instead of making that trip to Gainesville. We’ll see. I think he visits, so that’s a big one.
Then the three Lakeland kids coming in this weekend. Keon Zipperer, Lloyd Summerall, and then Deyavie Hammond, the offensive lineman. Those three coming in are huge as well. Nick, when you think about Lakeland, you think about the big boys that came out for Urban.
Nick: I think about my high school being ruined by losing to Lakeland three times in a row in the State Championship game.
Andrew: There you go. When you think about Lakeland right now, they got those three, and then they got the 2020 kid who’s coming in this weekend. 2020 running back Demarkcus Bowman coming in. Chance for those Lakeland kids, and when you think of Zipperer and Summerall, those are two monster targets at tight end and defensive end. Big ones there.
You got Kamaar Bell coming in, the offensive lineman out of Georgia. Bama or Florida fighting for him. We start to talk about all these offensive linemen, Florida really only needs one more, so they can be selective here with that one more. Then the next guy I’m going to talk about is a guy who can play offense or defensive line in Renato Brown that was once committed to Miami.
You’re starting to get your pick now. Someone said it to me best. They said, think about what happens if they can win this weekend. I said, if you win this weekend, it’s a signature win in front of these guys. I don’t think people can every underestimate how big of an impact down the road this can be for some of these guys who are coming in who are kind of in wait and see mode.
Nick: Where does Florida stand with those guys from Lakeland? Is it still wait and see? Then how much does one game, because we talk about that often, very often, how much does one game kid of affect the ultimate decision?
Andrew: I never will say one game will affect it one way or the other. A loss this weekend hurts momentum. Don’t get me wrong. It hurts momentum as far as you’re not going to see the positive reactions and the tweets and that kind of stuff that you would see if they won. But again, it’s a situation where you create momentum. You win this weekend, guess what, Missouri, guys start watching that game. Guys start watching the Georgia game more closely than they would, because a lot of people think Georgia is going to go out and win. You win this game, they’re going to watch that game closely. South Carolina game, and you come back. Some of these guys are going to return, so it sets up for the long run.
To answer your question on where they stand with the Lakeland guys. Zipperer and Summerall are between Florida and Miami. I think Florida has the edge for both of those guys. Hammond right now is a guy Florida’s just really starting to ramp up their recruiting of him, a guy who got a little overweight while at IMG last year. Transferred back to Lakeland. A lot of schools didn’t recruit him as hard as they did when he was going into his junior year and much of the fall last year because of that weight. Again, they’re starting to recruit him a little bit harder. I think if Florida pushes for him and makes him that last offensive lineman, they can get him.
Early on, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio State are battling for the 2020 running back, Bowman. Nick, you know as well as I do, you land a couple of those guys, a lot easier for next year to go get that 2020 running back in Demarkcus Bowman.
Nick: Yeah. Guys want to play with good guys.
Andrew: It’s familiarity too. How much more comfortable is it to have two, possibly three, of your teammates there, and you go next year, and you get those guys. All that stuff goes together. Lakeland to Gainesville is not far, but you’re not going home to mom every night or dad every night or whoever you live with every night, so it’s a lot easier to go with somebody that’s your friend. That kind of stuff.
Again, big recruiting weekend. A lot of guys on campus. A lot of guys will get facetime with the coaching staff in general. Atmosphere is going to be key. I talked to Elijah Higgins, the receiver out of Texas. He said, “One of the things I want to see this weekend is the atmosphere.” He goes, “My family in the state of Florida has told me that the atmosphere in the Swamp is like none other.” He has expectations, guys.
Nick: That’s up to the fans. Florida can’t do anything about that. The team can’t do anything about that. The players can’t do anything about that. That’s up to the fans. Dan Mullen talked a lot about that this week. He’s talked a lot about returning the Swamp to that since he’s been at Florida the last 10 months. It’s really true. I get it. When the team stinks, and they’ve stunk for a couple years, I get it. It’s hard to keep coming. Tickets are expensive. If you’re coming from out of town, the tickets expensive, rental car is expensive. If you’re flying, if you’re driving, if you’ve got to worry about a hotel, food. If you’re bringing family, you’re not buying one ticket. You’re buying four tickets, five tickets. It’s expensive. If you’re going to go just go and then watch them lose to Georgia Southern, most fans don’t want to see that.
Andrew: Right. Exactly. Listen, Saban is up there still griping at his fans.
Nick: And they win every week.
Andrew: Yeah. I mean, that’s the thing. Listen, it’s something that’s been chronicled all over. Several people have written stories about it, the decline in attendance, because, listen, it’s expensive right now. The way technology is, listen, CBS is paying a buttload of money, and they’re broadcasting the game. People are able to sit in their recliners and watch the game. So, it’s a tough, tough gig. I get it. At this point in time, they need the fanbase to show up. I think more so than anything, they need the student body to show up.
Nick: Will the students be there by kickoff?
Andrew: I think so.
Nick: I don’t think so.
Andrew: I think so. Nick, let’s go pick some players here.
Nick: We got our games first. We always go games first.
Andrew: Okay. We’ll go games first. I want to go down to the Red River Rivalry.
Nick: I love this game.
Andrew: A game that is a game that matches up against two good opponents for a change. What an atmosphere. You got a Ferris wheel going on in the background.
Nick: Everything is fried. You got fried butter, fried lard, fried corndogs. If it can fit in the fryer, or we can make a fryer big enough, we’ll fry it, and we’ll sell it to you at the fairgrounds. I’m going Oklahoma here. Like Kyler Murray. Like what they’re doing on offense. I’ve got the Sooners.
Andrew: Nick, it’s upset time. It’s upset time. Tom Herman brings out the gold grill and gets him a W. Oklahoma is good, but not great.
Nick: Texas isn’t great.
Andrew: Texas ain’t great either.
Nick: I’m not going to talk you out of your bad pick. Go ahead and be bad.
Andrew: Hook ‘em horns.
Nick: I’m not going to talk you out of it. You can keep your bad pick.
Andrew: Hook ‘em horns. Who you got next? What game you want to pick next?
Nick: We’ll go through our SEC slate real quick, and then we’ll go to the other instate rivalry. So, let’s go Kentucky at Texas A&M. Kentucky, 5-0 heading down to Jimbo land, Aggie land, College Station. Will Muschamp’s favorite destination in the SEC. Who you got, Stoops or Jimbo?
Andrew: Gig ‘em. The Kentucky ride is over. Gig ‘em. Aggies.
Nick: Really? I’m going to go Kentucky.
Andrew: Remember this, Stoops coached for Jimbo. Gig ‘em.
Nick: I’m going Kentucky.
Andrew: Okay. Gig ‘em. All the way.
Nick: Next game. Missouri at South Carolina. Will Muschamp’s lost to Missouri a couple times.
Andrew: Go ahead. You’re first pick.
Nick: I’m going to go USC. I’m going to pick Willy Muschamp this week.
Andrew: Never pick Willy Muschamp. Missouri wins. Drew Lock.
Nick: Missou on the road.
Andrew: Missou on the road. Drew Lock.
Nick: All right. Auburn at Mississippi State.
Andrew: Nick, you know my pick, so I’m going to let you go first.
Nick: I’m going with Auburn.
Andrew: The cowbells rebound from a two-game losing streak, find physicality, and beat an Auburn team who I think people are giving way too much credit to.
Nick: There was a story out there today where a former player said about Gus Malzahn that he can’t coach, doesn’t know how to coach.
Andrew: He doesn’t know how to coach. Are you crazy? He doesn’t know how to coach. Get out of here. Cowbells ring.
Nick: Big game in the state of Florida. The hapless Dora the Explorers, the fighting Willie Taggerts, going down to my land, my hometown, going down to Miami to play Mark Richt and the Canes. Your favorite football coach in all the land. Who do you got in this one? I think I know who you got, since you’re such a big Mark Richt fan.
Andrew: I got a tie.
Nick: They can’t tie. They won’t tie.
Andrew: They can tie.
Nick: They won’t tie. You got to pick them, Spivey.
Andrew: My 251 boy, Malik Rosier, sits on the bench, and they win.
Nick: Say that again. Who you picking?
Andrew: My 251 boy, Malik Rosier, sits on the bench and watches his team win the game against Willie Taggert.
Nick: So, you’re picking Mark Richt.
Andrew: No. I’m not picking Mark Richt.
Nick: You’re picking FSU?
Andrew: No. I’m not. I’m picking Malik Rosier to watch from the bench and his team win the game. You take that however you want to take that.
Nick: All right. Andrew picks Mark Richt and the Miami Hurricanes. I do as well. We are both believers in Mark Richt.
Andrew: Did you see Willie Taggert this week, Nick? Talk about, have his team, his running backs, fumble the ball on purpose for his defenders to learn how to recover a fumble? I cannot wait to see his team fumble like five times this weekend. Then he talked about how his fans are bashing his bookbag shenanigan, and he still likes it.
Nick: A football is oblong in shape. It is not going to bounce the same way any time.
Andrew: No.
Nick: Fumbles, recovering fumbles, are more luck than learned skill. I mean, at least they’re not dancing.
Andrew: Here’s my thing. How do you not know how to pick up something? You’re taught as like a one year old that if something is on the ground, and you’re supposed to get it, you pick it up. So, they don’t know how to bend down, physically pick up the pigskin off the ground, put it on their body, and run, or dive on it and cover it like somebody’s going to rob them of it. Maybe that FSU education starts early. I don’t know. If they don’t know how to recover a fumble, Willie Taggert’s done more than I thought.
Nick: Yeah. I’ve got Miami.
Andrew: I got Malik Rosier watching from the bench. Nick, we’ll save our pick for this game.
Nick: Hit our players now.
Andrew: Yeah. Hit our players now.
Nick: You had the first pick.
Andrew: I do have the first pick.
Nick: He’s becoming the first pick of every week.
Andrew: First pick, Retire Mom’s big game. Make some money.
Nick: This is a Retire Mom’s stand podcast.
Andrew: Make some money.
Nick: I’m staying on the defensive line. I was going to go Jabari Zuniga, but I switched it up. I’m going to Cece Jefferson.
Andrew: Carl.
Nick: Carl is playing his last Florida-LSU game. I think it gives him a little more juice. So, I’m going Carl.
Andrew: Frog will be happy about that.
Nick: Yeah.
Andrew: My second pick, I’m rolling the dice again. Don’t do me wrong, Feleipe. I’ve got you. QB1.
Nick: You did not get it last week.
Andrew: He didn’t do me wrong.
Nick: That’s right. We gave it to you last week.
Andrew: You didn’t give me shit.
Nick: Gave it to you.
Andrew: You didn’t give me nothing.
Nick: It wasn’t earned. It was given.
Andrew: Okay. QB1.
Nick: I’m going Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Like is just said about Cece Jefferson, I think Chauncey Gardner is playing his last Florida-LSU game, and I think he leads the Gators in tackles, and I’m going with Chauncey.
Andrew: Okay. Having a much better year playing a position he’s very comfortable with. This game, Nick, this is a linebacker’s game. I know your next pick, but my pick is going to be 33. David Reese is going to have a big game.
Nick: I think you’re off on that one, just because I don’t know where he’ll be at health wise. I don’t know.
Andrew: Listen, in big-time football games, Nick, you suck it up. David Reese is a big-time football player. He sucks it up. This isn’t the offensive line we’re talking about, where you question physicality. David Reese is a physical football player. He’s getting a cortisone shot. He’s good.
Nick: I’m going back to St. Thomas, back to my roots. I think Trevon Grimes started to get a little bit more looks last week. I think when we talk about, you talked earlier about that play action, taking a shot. I think he showed last week. He’s a big boy. He’s 6’4”. He can go up and get a ball, high point it. I think maybe he’s the recipient of that deep play action pass you talked to. Trevon Grimes, my third player of the week.
Andrew: I’m going to throw something at you. Wildcard that we hadn’t talked about. Give me a wildcard player for this week to watch.
Nick: Wildcard player this week to watch. I would go with Kadarius Toney.
Andrew: That was going to be my pick, but then I quickly went off of that and said, give me Moral Stephens, tight end position. The tight end position, in my opinion, maybe even Kyle Pitts. That would be my wildcard pick.
Nick: Not bad.
Andrew: That’s going to win the game, that running back, tight end position, in my opinion. Nick, what you got? Bayou Bengals, the corndogs, or the Gators?
Nick: I’m going to go with Florida this week. I think I’ve kind of talked myself …
Andrew: Oh, brother. Fans, you know what happens.
Nick: I talked myself into it all week.
Andrew: Oh, brother. Oh, brothers. Fans, you know what that means. Sorry, guys. Nick, here is the way this is going to go down. On the record, the corndogs will win. But I’m only picking that because my record in big games says when I pick against the Gators they win. What you got?
Nick: Who are you picking?
Andrew: On the record, I’m picking the corndogs.
Nick: You’re picking LSU.
Andrew: On the record, for reasons that I explained. My record in big games, when I pick against the Gators, speaks for the Gators.
Nick: So, you have no confidence that Florida will win this game is what you’re saying. That’s how I hear you. That’s what I’m hearing.
Andrew: If that’s how you need to take this game, Nick, then you take it that way.
Nick: You think LSU is the better football team that will play better and score more points.
Andrew: On the record, yes. Take that as it is.
Nick: Okay. Andrew Spivey on the record picking LSU, because he is …
Andrew: Let me say it like this. Corndogs will win the game, or corndogs are my pick on this. Florida Gators win the football game. There you go.
Nick: No. You can’t do that. You got to pick one or the other. You can’t pick both. You have to pick one or the other.
Andrew: I’m telling you on the record, the corndogs win the game. I mean, corndogs are my pick, but the Florida Gators will win the game. I think that when you go to match it up, I’ve talked myself into it, like you have, Nick. When you go to look at the matchup, I think Florida finds a way. I do. I think Florida finds a way in this game. I think this comes down to who do you trust more with the big calls, Ed Orgeron or Dan Mullen?
Nick: I go with Dan Mullen.
Andrew: That’s mine.
Nick: So, you’re picking Florida.
Andrew: I’m picking Florida, but on the record, it’s the corndogs.
Nick: No. You’re picking Florida. You got to pick one, Spivey.
Andrew: I’m picking the corndogs on the record. Florida Gators win the football game. Put that on the record, on the docket.
Nick: You picked both teams to win.
Andrew: No, I did not. I said, put me down for the corndogs on the record. Florida Gators win the football game. Nick, real quick …
Nick: You picked both teams.
Andrew: Okay. Real quick, Nick, World Series, who do you got?
Nick: I’m going to go Red Sox-Brewers, and I think the Red Sox win it.
Andrew: I’m also going Red Sox-Brewers, for some reason, but I was very, very close to saying Astros got back there. I think the Red Sox. Brewers-Red Sox. Be a different World Series. The Brewers ever made it? I don’t think so.
Nick: I don’t know. Their entire bullpen is just guys that throw gas. They’ve got starters in the bullpen. I think they’re even going a bullpen kind of rotation in Game 1 against the Rockies tonight.
Andrew: Yeah. Dan Mullen will be happy if the Red Sox make it.
Nick: He’s a, not a Boston guy, but a Northeasterner, a Yankee.
Andrew: Yeah. That’ll be good. Post season baseball is back. It’s going to be fun. Nick, tell everybody where they can find us. Real quick, can’t forget our guys at Moe’s, Nick. We gave away our tailgate this week. If you haven’t gotten a tailgate yet, get it in real quick. They’ll bring it to you, set it up for you, Nick, clean it up. They’ll do everything you go to do. All you got to do is eat their tacos. Eat their chips. Eat their dip. All you got to do is eat and watch ball. They’re bringing it to you and cleaning it up.
Nick: It’s easy.
Andrew: It’s easy.
Nick: Just get free food. Who doesn’t like free food?
Andrew: That’s it. Anyway, gave away our tailgate, so be watching for the South Carolina game. If you want to get a tailgate for a cheap, cheap price, call Moe’s. Tell them the promo code is Gator Country, and they’ll hook you up with a good price.
Nick: Or send us your picture and get it for a free price.
Andrew: There you go. Nick, tell everybody where they can find us. We’ll get out of here. We’ll see everyone on Monday as we recap the game, and we’ll be recapping recruiting. Stay tuned for that. Also, Nick, shout out real quick to my man Eric, killing it on basketball recruiting. We’re going to have a basketball podcast next week to talk about this elite recruiting class for the Gator basketball team.
Nick: Milwaukee Brewers went to the 1982 World Series and lost.
Andrew: Okay. There you go. Nick, tell everybody where they can find us, and we’ll get out of here. We’ll see everyone on Monday.
Nick: www.GatorCountry.com for all your Florida Gator news. The podcast is there in audio and transcript form. It’s also on Stitcher, Google Play, anywhere you get your podcasts.
Andrew: SoundCloud.
Nick: SoundCloud. Anywhere you listen to podcasts, it is there. Just search @GatorCountry. Subscribe. Never miss an episode. Let us know how we’re doing, what you want to hear, what you like, and give us a nice friendly rating. Also, on social media. Do your thing there. @GatorCountry on Facebook and Twitter. @TheGatorCountry on Instagram. You can find me @NickdelaTorreGC, and you can find him @AndrewSpiveyGC. Let him know on Twitter that he did not pick either team in Florida or LSU, and he took the coward’s way out.
Andrew: I did not. I took the way of helping the Gators this week. I’m a man of the people, Nick. I’m a man of the people. I’m a man of the people, Nicholas de la Torre. Anyway, guys, we appreciate it. As always, go Braves. It’s post season Chop-tober. Chomp, chomp.
Nick: Chop-tober? Ugh. You stay classy, Gator Country.
Brewers lost 1982 World Series. I hope you are right and they make it back this year.