No. 6 Florida hosts LSU, goes for 13th straight win in Swamp

Posted December 10, 2020 6:00 am

By The Associated Press

FILE - Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (84) catches a pass in front of Kentucky defensive back Brandin Echols for a 2-yard touchdown on a pass play during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., in this Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, file photo. No. 6 Florida doesn't really even try to run the ball anymore. There's an occasional handoff here and there, but the Gators are mostly one-dimensional _ and that's fine with coach Dan Mullen, Heisman Trophy front-runner Kyle Trask and arguably the deepest receiving corps in the country.(AP Photo/John Raoux, File) The Associated Press

LSU (3-5, 3-5 SEC) at No. 6 Florida (8-1, 8-1, No. 6 CFP), Saturday at 7 p.m. EST (ESPN).

Line: Florida by 23.

Series record: Florida leads 33-30-3.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

The Gators have clinched the Southeastern Conference's East Division and will play top-ranked Alabama in the league title game next week in Atlanta. Losing to LSU in the Swamp would eliminate any chance Florida has of sneaking into the College Football Playoff with a loss to the heavily favored Crimson Tide.

KEY MATCHUP

Winning and escaping healthy are coach Dan Mullen's main concerns in Florida's home finale. The Gators have avoided any season-ending injuries and would love to keep their fortuitous streak intact before facing Alabama with a CFP berth at stake.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LSU: CB Derek Stingley Jr. tries to bounce back after an awful performance against Alabama's DeVonta Smith last week. Smith burned the Tigers for 231 yards and three touchdowns on eight catches. Stingley, widely considered one of the best cover guys in the nation, now faces one of the country's deepest receiving corps.

Florida: TE Kyle Pitts is Kyle Trask's top target and the team's best pro prospect. He has 36 catches for 641 yards and 11 touchdowns in 6 ˆ½ games. He missed 10 quarters because of a concussion and a broken nose.

FACTS & FIGURES

Heisman Trophy front-runner Trask has 38 touchdown passes and just three interceptions this season. '¦ LSU self-imposed a one-year ban on postseason play Wednesday as part an effort to cooperate with an NCAA probe into rules violations. The move was mocked nationally since the reigning national champions have had nine players opt out and seven others decide to transfer in what's been a huge blow to coach Ed Orgeron's program. '¦ Standout freshman TE Arik Gilbert was the latest to opt out and leave the Tigers. '¦ Florida has won 12 straight at home, the team's longest streak since winning 14 in a row between 2008 and 2010.

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LSU head coach Ed Orgeron leads his team on the field before an NCAA college football game against Alabama in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) The Associated Press

Florida head coach Dan Mullen, right, pauses during a timeout against Georgia during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla. No. 6 Florida doesn't really even try to run the ball anymore. There's an occasional handoff here and there, but the Gators are mostly one-dimensional _ and that's fine with coach Dan Mullen, Heisman Trophy front-runner Kyle Trask and arguably the deepest receiving corps in the country. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Associated Press

Alabama coach Nick Saban, right, greets LSU coach Ed Orgeron after Alabama's victory in an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) The Associated Press

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