The Florida Gators lost to the LSU Tigers 35-45 on Saturday night. The Gators are now 4-3, and they will have a bye week before facing the Georgia Bulldogs.
Florida’s offense showed solid improvement in this game, but the defense took a step back. Here’s a recap of Florida’s close loss to LSU at home.
Jayden Daniels Showed Out
Coming into this game, there were a lot of questions regarding LSU’s Jayden Daniels’ ability as a passer. He ended up with 350 passing yards and three touchdowns in this game, which created a big lead initially for LSU.
The Tigers have a surplus in elite pass-catchers including Malik Nabers, Kayshon Boutte, Jaray Jenkins, etc. That wide receiver group may be the best in the SEC, so it was a tough night for Florida’s secondary.
Also, LSU’s rushing attack ended up with nearly 200 rushing yards. Josh Williams was the main force, and the Gators’ defensive front surprisingly struggled to generate push against LSU’s offensive line. Clearly, Florida needs more depth on the defensive line and better play by the entire defense.
Florida’s Offense More Balanced?
![Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) gets the ball off as LSU Tigers cornerback Quad Wilson (16) ties to sack him in the first half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 15, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://i0.wp.com/www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/10/16/NTGG/4edfbd8f-e2a8-47f3-9af7-07624479503d-FLGAI-101522-NCAAF-FloridaVsLSU-0002-DE.jpg?resize=592%2C494&ssl=1)
Anthony Richardson had 300 total yards against LSU with two touchdowns. Again, he was the primary contributor for Florida’s offense, likely because the Gators’ receivers couldn’t frequently get open against the Tigers’ secondary.
Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. both really need to get more carries. There’s no doubt that Richardson is a special talent, but it’s not smart for him to drop back nearly over 40 times in a game. That’s just not Richardson’s style of play; there are so many different ways that Florida’s offense can be more effective.
Justin Shorter was Richardson’s primary target, but he could’ve connected on a few more balls if he would’ve toned down the heat on the quick throws. That situation cost the Gators in the red zone, which might’ve made it a one-score game in the fourth quarter. Obviously, this is still Billy Napier’s first year, so there are a lot of areas to improve. However, some of these mistakes need to be corrected on a weekly basis.
Concluding Thoughts
Florida’s next home game will be on November 12th against South Carolina, so the Gators really need to find a way to adjust their style during the bye week. This team can definitely still reach a bowl game, but it depends how they respond in two weeks. Playing against the best team in the nation is a great way to assess your team; Napier should come prepared to take full advantage of that opportunity against the Bulldogs.