Gators Online Gameday predictions: Florida vs. LSU

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators and LSU Tigers will renew their annual rivalry this Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It is the inaugural Tom Petty Day at UF, as the university will celebrate the life and music of the Gainesville-born rock in.

It’s a big week for the Gators, who have lost three consecutive years to LSU and are looking to end that streak. Florida comes into the matchup after winning Billy Napier’s first SEC game. The Gators need to keep that momentum going as they head into the bye week before facing off against Georgia.

Here are the predictions from the Gators Online staff.

Gators Online predicts the game

Zach Abolverdi: Six of the last seven games in the rivalry series have been decided by one score, and this one will be no different. And similar to the 2021 Florida-LSU matchup, I expect quarterback Anthony Richardson to have a big performance and the Tigers to run the ball well against UF.

Some of that success will be with Jayden Daniels’ legs; however, the Gators won’t give up 321 yards on the ground like they did last year. And this time, Richardson will play from the start instead of coming off the bench and, more importantly, avoid turnovers to lead Florida to a close win.

Florida, 28-27.

Corey Bender: Regardless of the winner, I expect this matchup to be decided on the last couple of drives. Other than the Tennessee game, LSU has been fairly decent at defending the run and allowed just five rushing touchdowns in six games. However, the Gators should have enough success from a deep running back room highlighted by Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne. Anthony Richardson is a headache to defend as well, having rushed for five touchdowns.

LSU, however, could definitely make Florida pay on defense. The Gators rank 98th in yards per play allowed and will need to force some turnovers or make crucial stops on third down. This game could play out several different ways and will likely be a stressful one for fans. When it’s all said and done though, I envision the Gators doing just enough to improve to 5-2 on the season.

Florida, 27-24.

Nick de la Torre: I think this one will mean more to the coaching staff at Florida. Billy Napier and many of his staff have deep ties in Louisiana and this is a rivalry game. LSU is coming off of a beatdown at the hands of Tennessee.

The biggest challenge for the Gators this week will be to contain LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Arizona State transfer leads the Tigers in rushing. He can change a game with his legs, so Florida needs to set the edge and contain him. It’s easier said than done, but a necessity. Anthony Richardson will also need to have a good game, but I see this one playing out favorably for the Gators.

Florida, 31-28.

Pat O’Donnell: The Gators have dropped three in a row to the Tigers, and there’s no better way to go into the bye week than snapping that losing streak. Each of these teams have their flaws, and that’s why this will be a four-quarter game. What stands out most is LSU’s struggling offensive line. Containing LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is key, and the Tigers don’t have the O-line to stop the Gators front seven for 60 minutes. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson will make some big throws against the LSU secondary alongside a consistent rushing attack. It may be a little sweaty, but Billy Napier and the Gators improve to 5-2 on Saturday.

Florida, 27-24.

Donavon Keiser: It wouldn’t be Florida-LSU if there weren’t some weird voodoo magic going on. In a night game in The Swamp, the Gators narrowly avoid the pesky Tigers while limiting Jayden Daniels and the LSU offense. The Gators should be able to run efficiently on the LSU defense, which gives up 3.9 yards per carry. Anthony Richardson has a similar performance as he did in Death Valley last season. The Gators get revenge for 2020 while Billy Napier wins his first game against the Tigers after they overlooked him during their 2021 coaching search. 

Florida, 27-24.

Tracking our picks

Writer	Overall record	Utah	Kentucky	USF	Tennesee	EWU	Missouri
Bender	5-1	Florida ✅	Florida ❌	Florida ✅	Tennessee ✅	Florida ✅	Florida ✅
Abolverdi	4-2	Utah ❌	Florida ❌	Florida ✅	Tennessee ✅	Florida ✅	Florida ✅
O’Donnell	4-2	Florida ✅	Florida ❌	Florida ✅	Florida ❌	Florida ✅	Florida ✅
de la Torre	3-3	Utah ❌	Florida ❌	Florida ✅	Florida ❌	Florida ✅	Florida ✅
Keiser	3-3	Utah ❌	Florida ❌	Florida ✅	Florida ❌	Florida ✅	Florida ✅