LSU Football: Three Florida Gators to Watch in Week 11 Matchup

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have a chance to rebound on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium with the Florida Gators packing their bags and heading to Baton Rouge.

It'll be the second matchup between Kelly and Billy Napier after the Bayou Bengals traveled to Gainesville a season ago and defeated the Gators.

Now, as both programs navigate challenging seasons, Saturday night will be key for both teams to end the season on a positive note.

A look into a trio of Gators to monitor come this weekend in Death Valley:

Graham Mertz: Quarterback

There were concerns surrounding Mertz upon his arrival to Gainesville and the type of player he could be in Napier's offense.

Now, as the backend of the schedule takes shape, the first-year Gator is quietly putting together a solid season. He's up to 2,409 passing yards and 17 passing touchdowns with 50 carries and three rushing touchdowns for the Gators offense.

A player who can make plays with his legs at times, Mertz can give the Tigers’ defense trouble in short yardage situations, especially without Mekhi Wingo up front for the defensive line.

With the Bayou Bengals heading into Saturday night without Wingo and several cornerbacks, Mertz will be a player to keep tabs on if he can exploit the defense.

Kelly on Florida QB Graham Mertz: He's settled in nicely, really in control of what they want to do on offense. Taking care of the football and doing a nice job of getting the ball to their playmakers. #LSU
— Scott Rabalais (@RabalaisAdv) November 8, 2023

Ricky Pearsall: Wide Receiver

The flashy, electrifying wideout has been a deep threat for the Gators all season long with an opportunity to tear up the LSU secondary on Saturday night.

Pearsall has been the engine for this receiving corps. Yes, Eugene Wilson and Co. have carried major weight, but Pearsall has been an impressive veteran for this program.

Now, heading into a showdown in Death Valley, Pearsall will be a player the Tigers have circled. He'll likely go up against either Sage Ryan or Javien Toviano, two inexperienced cornerbacks, with Napier's staff looking to exploit the defensive backs.

When asked about about the Florida offense on Wednesday's SEC Teleconference, Brian Kelly specifically detailed the importance of Pearsall:

"The running game is as good as there is in the SEC. This is a really good offense. Built on the running game, play action, and a big play guy in (WR Ricky) Pearsall."

Princely Umanmielen: Defensive End

Umanmielen has been a key contributor on defense this season for the Gators. The defense has performed poorly this year in Gainesville, but with a few bright spots, Umanmielen is one of them.

The junior defensive end had a career-high nine tackles and six solo tackles against Georgia with 1.5 tackles-for-loss and two quarterback hurries. A guy who can shine in the big-time games, Saturday will be key for the veteran.

The LSU offensive line has been nearly flawless through the first nine games of the season, and looking ahead to this weekend, they'll need to carry that success.

Umanmielen has 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for losses and 12 quarterback hurries on the year with this o-line needing to keep tabs on him on each snap.