Key Points for LSU Football Defense Against Explosive Florida Offense
Kyle Trask and the Florida Gators are one of college football’s most explosive offenses. LSU is now tasked with attempting to slow down this fierce passing attack.
For LSU to begin to turn the corner defensively, it needs to do several things much better. It begins, without question, by not blowing assignments. There’s no reason to even discuss the situation as it’s constantly happened to the Tigers during the 2020 season. Against the Gators, issued secondary assignments would be yet another disaster similar to Alabama. So how does LSU compete with Florida?
Make Trask Move
Kyle Trask very well may win the Heisman Trophy. He’s a stud. Trask has already thrown for 3,243 yards, 38 touchdowns to only three interceptions. Perhaps most impressive, Trask completes 71.4% of his passes.
Point blank, he’s elite. What he’s not, however, would be a good runner. He’s a pocket passer with the ability to side step a rusher and make a throw. Occasionally Trask will run, but is almost always a pass-first quarterback. When he’s allowed to scan the gridiron for his targets, Trask has exemplary accuracy. That’s why LSU needs to place together a good pass rush.
There’s no one method. Yes, the front four needs to get home. The Gators offensive line is a good pass blocking unit that’s only allowed 10 sacks this season. Part of that pass protection success is due to Trask understanding coverage and getting the football out quick. That leads to LSU’s edge rushers being great.
Ali Gaye, BJ Ojulari, and several other Tigers need to win one on one matchups. That’s an absolute must. If they are successful at getting pressure during the early portion of the game, that’s when LSU can mix and match pressure packages.
Zone blitz, safety blitz, or any number of pressure looks that can create havoc for Trask and his offensive line. That’s the goal. Again, it starts with LSU’s down four gaining pressure without blitzing. If LSU does not do well with that area, there’s no question that Florida can and likely will throw the football all over the gridiron.
Better Tackling
This seems odd to discuss at the end of a college football season. LSU continues to miss tackles time and time again. It’s so uncharacteristic of the LSU program, and it needs to stop. Considering how dangerous Florida’s wide receivers and running backs are at catching screens, this will be especially important.
One of Florida’s strengths is throwing to Kadarius Toney and allowing him to make plays. Toney will motion and catch a short pass, catch passes out of the backfield, and run routes from the slot. He’s one of the most versatile players in the country. He’s caught 53 passes for 649 yards and eight touchdowns. More importantly, he’s incredible at making defenders miss.
There’s no secret formula to tackling beyond practicing tackling and actually making it happen during a game. Let’s see how the Tigers do against a wide receiver core that not only does a nice job of avoiding tacklers, but it’s a very big unit that blocks well for one another during those tunnel screens that the Gators run so well.
LSU will have its hands full. They need to be ready for those big wide receivers in space, Toney, and without question college football’s best tight end.
Contain Pitts
There’s no stopping Kyle Pitts. He’s arguably the most lethal tight end college football has ever witnessed. Despite playing in just seven games, Pitts has 36 receptions, 641 yards and 11 touchdown receptions. He runs like a wide receiver, yet he’s 6-foot-6, and about 240-pounds.
Especially in the red zone, Pitts will be the featured player for Trask. When in doubt, Pitts will get a back shoulder fade or jump ball. It will be interesting to see if Jabril Cox will be consistently tasked with covering Pitts. That would be a tremendous competition between two future NFL players.
Regardless of which LSU player(s) attempts to defend Pitts, it’s more important that LSU keep him off guard with different looks such as double coverage, zone, man, and combination coverages. He’s going to make some plays, but LSU cannot allow him to dominate. While Pitts is a phenomenal player, the Florida rushing attack is subpar.
LSU's gameplan last week against Devonta Smith was to double him on the outside. That didn't go as planned but perhaps putting a linebacker like Cox and a safety over the top would be enough to subdue him.
Tigers Must Make the Gators One Dimensional
The Florida offensive line will not be mistaken for Alabama’s offensive line that can be a dominant run blocking unit. The leading rusher, running back Dameon Pearce, has a mere 416 yards on the ground this season. He’s also a willing pass receiver, but he’s far from a game changer on the ground.
Pearce only averages 4.9 yards per carry; he also only averages 9.4 carries per game. That alone proves that Florida is about as close to a one dimensional team as it can be. LSU must negate big runs from Pearce because that would only open up the already dangerous Florida passing attack.
Final Thoughts
Florida’s offense is absolutely electric, assuming a team does not create chaos in the backfield. He will disassemble almost any basic defense so the Tigers will need to be multiple with their defensive coverages, win one on one pass rush matchups, and dominate Florida’s mediocre rushing attack.
