Florida vs. LSU: Game Grades, Analysis for Gators and Tigers

A battle of undefeated Top 10 squads, particularly from the Southeastern Conference, always promises to finish as an instant classic. In the case of No. 6 LSU hosting eighth-ranked Florida at a hostile Death Valley on Saturday, the pregame hype lived up to reality, as the up-and-down Tigers fought off a scrappy Gators squad in the 35-28 nail-biter. For more details, check out the NCAA box score here. 

Emerging from the victory unscathed, LSU (6-0, 4-0 SEC) will await its third straight victim at Tiger Stadium next week, as nonconference opponent Western Kentucky travels to Baton Rouge. Meanwhile, Florida (6-1, 4-1 SEC) will find respite in its bye week before packing up for a neutral game site in Jacksonville against longtime rival Georgia. 

	First Half	Second Half
Pass Offense	A-	B+
Rush Offense	B+	A
Pass Defense	C+	B
Rush Defense	A	A+
Special Teams	C-	B+
Coaching	B	A

Pass Offense: Brandon Harris may not have been perfect during this matchup, but he was exceptionally close. The junior ignited the Tigers offense on multiple occasions with precision passing and impromptu scrambling, going 13-of-19 for 202 yards and two scores on the day. With a Florida scheme clearly designed to slow down the LSU ground game, Harris' air raid found holes throughout the defense for big chunks of yards. 

Rush Offense: While 180 yards and two scores on 31 carries may seem like a great day for most backs, sophomore Leonard Fournette contributed a routine performance in the victory. With his quarterback slinging brilliant passes, Fournette found room to maneuver against the Gators, breaking few runs but consistently weakening the defensive front seven. 

Pass Defense: Most likely, the LSU defense anticipated Florida to put its offensive game in the hands of running back Kelvin Taylor due to the recent suspension of starting quarterback Will Grier. However, backup Treon Harris' performance for 271 yards on 17 completions stunned this Tigers secondary on more than one occasion. He threw two passing touchdowns to tight end Jake McGee. 

Rush Defense: Even with Grier out, it's almost as if Florida barely slotted any rushing plays in its game plan. Throughout the game, four Gators combined for 31 carries for just 55 yards with a lone touchdown. Perhaps the LSU defensive front frightened Florida into relying on its air raid over the top. 

Special Teams: The second half produced a multitude of mistakes and successes, as LSU first gave up a game-tying punt return before converting a go-ahead fake field goal a few minutes later. Tack on a muffed punt in the first half, which Florida transformed into seven points, and the Tigers special teams certainly have some parts to improve upon. 

Coaching: Head coach Les Miles took risks, including a call to fake the go-ahead field goal and, instead, find the end zone. On top of that, he and his staff ensured the offense formed a balanced attack against a Florida squad that expected one-dimensionality. I tip the cap to the Mad Hatter for this victory. 

	First Half	Second Half
Pass Offense	A	B+
Rush Offense	C-	D
Pass Defense	B-	B
Rush Defense	B	C+
Special Teams	A-	B
Coaching	B+	A-

Pass Offense: The backup Treon Harris performed with some serious panache as the Gators passing game worked to perfection. The LSU secondary was constantly surprised as Harris completed 17 of 32 passes for 271 yards and two scores, including two brilliant touchdown throws to McGee. 

Rush Offense: While the passing game worked to perfection, the Gators essentially abandoned the ground. On the day, Taylor racked up just 25 yards on 13 carries, while the rest of the team wasn't much better, combining for a dismal 55 yards. 

Pass Defense: Considering Brandon Harris entered the matchup with a reputation for mediocrity, the much-praised Florida secondary failed to expose the LSU quarterback throughout the game. Harris surgically placed balls to receivers all over the field, compiling 202 yards for two scores. When the ground game struggled, Harris found a way to make it work through the air, and that was the difference for the Tigers. 

Rush Defense: Perspective matters when grading a squad against Fournette. Overall, the Gators performed well, meeting him in the backfield on occasion and bringing him down en masse. The lone shortcoming was individual tackling, which suffered when Florida attempted to bring him down up top. 

Special Teams: Outside of the allowed go-ahead touchdown on the LSU fake field goal, Florida's special teams were fantastic. The punt return for the tying score was beyond clutch, and a muffed kick by the Tigers gave the Gators the initial touchdown of the game. In terms of performance, Florida played above and beyond, responding to the call of its offense to make a play and break open the game during the second half. 

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Antonio Callaway with the Punt return TD! #UFvsLSU https://t.co/MajHxFmAHd

— Zack (@steelzack1) October 18, 2015"

Coaching: Obviously, head coach Jim McElwain and his staff had this Florida squad mentally ready for the challenges of Death Valley, not to mention executing crucial halftime adjustments that cut the Tigers' two-score lead to nothing early on. The loss certainly was tough, but McElwain earned his own set of stripes with the defeat. Expect him to be on the lookout for LSU next season (or perhaps in the SEC title game).