Ed Orgeron praises LSU youth for 'new energy' in win over Florida

Ed Orgeron and the LSU Tigers pulled off a substantial, unexpected, 49-42 upset over the No. 20 Florida Gators on Saturday, a much-needed victory for the skidding program. The LSU youth may be a factor in the energy change.

Orgeron, whose job was in jeopardy heading into the matchup, credited some of LSU’s youth after the win, saying the spark those young players provided helped LSU accomplish what it did and infuse new energy into their program.

“I saw the guys that were going to step up into a starting role,” he said. “I saw them practice with more energy. They were more eager, they were in the office watching film. It was just kind of new energy about the football team. On Thursday, you could feel that energy. Felt really good. It’s not about me, it’s about this team. Give them the credit.”

The losses were starting to pile up for Orgeron and LSU, as the Tigers had no answer for Kentucky last week, falling in deflating, 42-21 fashion, and dropping their record to just 3-3. Another week just meant another brutal loss for Orgeron, who previously could claim an overall record of just .500 since the 2019 national championship run. And frankly, with No. 20 Florida, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 5 Alabama and No. 16 Arkansas in four-straight weeks, many expected things to get worse.

But LSU and their newfound energy had something to say about that. Instead, it was the Tigers and their previously bottom-dwelling rushing offense that piled on a historic performance against Florida, and Dan Mullen’s defense had absolutely no answer. In the end, LSU prevailed in a week where it simply could not afford to lose, defeating Florida.

Saturday was the Tyrion Davis-Price show leading the way for LSU, as the junior from Baton Rogue put on for his hometown, breaking Leonard Fournette’s single-game rushing record in a historic performance. Davis-Price took 36 carries for a whopping 287 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, providing a massive boost for quarterback Max Johnson. Johnson three touchdowns of his own, but he needed just 14 completions in 24 attempts, along with just 133 passing yards to pull off the win, thanks to LSU’s dominance in the rushing game.

Florida’s offense still managed to move the chains against LSU, tallying 488 total yards of offense, including 350 passing yards. Florida failed to find consistency under quarterback, however, leading to a stagnant offense down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Emory Jones completed 12 of his 19 passing attempts for 161 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while freshman Anthony Richardson threw for 167 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions of his own. LSU’s defense forced four turnovers via interceptions, and Orgeron’s unit even forced two fumbles, though both were recovered by the Florida offense.

In the end, Orgeron survived another week at LSU, and the Tigers’ upset win over Florida came just days after questions loomed regarding Orgeron’s job security. However, things won’t get much easier for LSU and their youth movement, as the Tigers have three consecutive ranked SEC opponents on tap: No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 5 Alabama and No. 17 Arkansas.