Ali Gaye on stopping Florida rushing attack: Kill their engine

LSU had their four-game winning streak snapped last week in a blowout loss to Tennessee, but will be looking to get back in the win column this week on the road against Florida. If the Tigers want to secure a win in the swamp, they’ll have to stop the Gator’s rushing attack, which defensive lineman Ali Gaye spoke about ahead of their matchup.

“They have good running backs, a good running team, so I think we gotta kill the engine. Stop that run and then execute in the pass game but it’s a big challenge,” Gaye said.

The Gators currently rank fourth in the SEC in rush yards per game averaging 213 per game, which is five more than a Tennessee team that gashed the Tigers for 263 yards on the ground just last weekend.

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“Last week we gave up a lot of yards defensively, but like I said, it’s a new opportunity to showcase that we are who we say are and as a defense we have to stop those backs,” Gaye said.

The Gators also boast four 100-plus yard rushers that all average between four and eight yards per carry, including dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson who has been giving offenses headaches all season long.

“If he wants to run the ball, we’re just gonna treat him like a running back. Big guys, we have to tackle big, he’s a big guy, he wants to run that ball,” Gaye said.

Richardson stands at 6-foot-4, 236 pounds and is a tough guy to bring down, tied for the SEC quarterback lead with five rushing touchdowns on the season. He’s a proven runner, but has shown some weakness in the passing game with a 56% completion percentage and the second-most interceptions out of the conference’s quarterbacks with seven.

“As a defense it’s a challenge for us to contain him and it’s a challenge for us to get that ball out, because if you’re a running back trying to run the ball, if you come down that hole the defense is going to be right there, our linebackers are gonna be right there,” Gaye said. “So we’ll be ready for him.”

The Gator’s two losses this season came in games where Richardson had to throw the ball the most and the only two games where he’s thrown for more than 30 pass attempts. If the Tigers can slow down Florida’s strong rushing attack and make Richardson beat them with his arm, they’ll have a much better chance of getting a win on Saturday.