LSU Has Florida Right Where They Want Them
October 9, 2009 at 4:45 pm by George - (1) Comment
“It’s Saturday night in Death Valley and here come your Fighting Tigers of LSU.” Those are the words the public address announcer will yell when No. 4 LSU takes the field Saturday night when they host the No. 1 Florida Gators. Tiger Stadium, otherwise known as Death Valley, got its name for good reason. The 84-year-old stadium is one of the most spectacular venues in college football, but its also one of the most feared by LSU opponents.
This Saturday, with more than 92,000 fans in attendance, Death Valley will be the center of the college football universe as the Gators try to keep their SEC and BCS championship hopes alive. The visit to Baton Rouge will be the toughest test Florida will face this season. A win over the Tigers will put them in the dirver’s seat in the SEC East and a potential berth in the SEC Championship game. Meanwhile, LSU looks to upset the top-ranked Gators after they came from behind twice in the fourth quarter last week to defeat Georgia.
The Tigers have exhibited that same gritty determination before en route to their second BCS title in 2007. On October 6 of that year, the No. 9 Gators paid a visit to Death Valley and were leading the top-ranked Tigers 24-14 early in the fourth quarter. Behind Jacob Hester’s running and coach Les Miles’ gutsy play-calling, the Tigers came from behind to defeat Florida 28-24. LSU converted five 4th down plays during the game, with three of those conversions coming in the fourth quarter as the Tigers scored two touchdowns. As if there wasn’t already a lot on the line Saturday night, the biggest question entering the game is the health of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.
The Heisman Trophy candidate sustained a concussion on September 26 in the Gators 41-7 win over Kentucky. According to reports, Tebow’s availability will be a game-time decision. Florida coach Urban Meyer said on Wednesday that any announcement about Tebow’s playing status wouldn’t come “until the foot hits the ball down there.”
Meyer said he expects Tebow to practice this week but that the Gators’ quarterback has still not been cleared to play. Meyer also said the crowd noise at Tiger Stadium could be a factor. Could be a factor? Meyer is downplaying what he already knows – the crowd noise in Death Valley will most definitely be a factor.
During the 2007 game against Florida, the crowd noise in Tiger Stadium reached 130 decibels. Death Valley was also the site of the legendary “Earthquake Game” against Auburn in 1988. LSU won the game in the waning seconds when quarterback Tommy Hodson completed a touchdown pass to Eddie Fuller. The crowd reaction was so loud it registered as an earthquake on the seismograph in the Louisiana Geological Survey office located on the LSU campus.
But the crowd noise may be the least of Florida’s concerns. If Tebow can’t play, sophomore John Brantley will start at quarterback for the Gators. Getting a win against the Tigers is going to be hard enough, but if Brantley gets the start on Saturday night look for LSU to put tremendous pressure on him throughout the game. Even with Tebow behind center, Florida must have success running the football or it’s going to be a long night for the Gators. LSU has a solid secondary and it’s no secret Florida’s wide receivers don’t strike a lot of fear in opponents. Tebow’s scrambling ability and propensity to weather the burden of the Gators’ ground game has been a formula for past success.
But Brantley’s ability to provide what Tebow gives Florida places unrealistic expectations on the Sophomore quarterback. The Gators veteran offensive line will be tasked to open holes for Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody to take the pressure off Brantley. The Tigers have had their own troubles running the ball this season, but they’ve been able to do just enough to keep opposing defenses honest when using play action.
LSU may have the best pair of receivers in the SEC with Brandon LaFell and Terrance Tolliver posing a serious threat to the Gators’ secondary. If LSU can get Chris Scott unleashed for some good chunks of yardage, the Tigers will be able to utilize their passing game to its fullest. If LSU can shut down the Gators’ rushing attack and force them into 3rd and long situations with consistency, the Tigers are going to upset the No. 1 team in the nation.
Like so many that have come before them, the Gators could have their entire season go up in flames on Saturday night in Death Valley.
In the battle of warriors, the battle field is one of the factors making the opponent lose their focus on the game. Both opposing team has a good line of players but without Florida’s QB Tim Tebow playing. This may lead to disaster match for the Gators but they have sophomore John Brantley to start the game.