Preview and Predictions: LSU Football vs. Florida Gators in Week 12 Matchup

The Bayou Bengals head to The Swamp for a Southeastern Conference clash against Florida, looking to turn the corner.

Courtesy of LSU Football.

No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-2) will travel to Gainesville for a Week 12 SEC showdown against Billy Napier and the Florida Gators at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

For the Tigers, it's about rounding the corner and bouncing back after consecutive losses to both the Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas A&M.

Kelly and Co. will look to get back on track in The Swamp, but will be faced with another challenge as freshman phenom quarterback DJ Lagway returns for the Gators.

All eyes will be on the Bayou Bengals once again with another road Southeastern Conference battle inching closer.

A look into the game information, latest betting lines, players to keep tabs on, injury report and prediction for Saturday afternoon in Gainesville:

The Game Information: LSU Tigers at Florida Gators

• Time: 3:30 PM ET
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 16
• Venue: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
• TV Channel: ABC Network

The Current Betting Odds: LSU Tigers at Florida Gators

*(All odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook)*

Spread:
- LSU: (-4)
- Florida: (+4)

Moneyline:
- LSU: (-175)
- Florida: (+145)

Over/Under: 55.5

The LSU Tigers are currently a four-point favorite heading into the Week 12 clash. A line that hovered around the five-point mark a week ago, Vegas continues leaning towards the Tigers as the favorites on Saturday night.

Three Tigers to Watch: Week 12 Edition

The stars must show out for the Bayou Bengals on Saturday afternoon in The Swamp.

A look into a trio of players that must set the tone for LSU:

Garrett Nussmeier: Quarterback

All eyes will be on LSU signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier on Saturday night in Gainesville with the first-year starter looking to bounce back after a pair of difficult showings.

Nussmeier and turned the ball over a handful of times across the last two matchups against both Texas A&M and Alabama, but moving forward, it'll be about remaining disciplined in his approach.

We have to do a better job for him, he's gotta do a better job and we believe in him. As we continue to grow in the first year of a starter that he gives us the best chance to be successful," Brian Kelly said on Wednesday. "Having said that, you can understand what we're working on. You don't need to have a degree in football of any kind to know that we can't continue to have the kind of mistakes on offense we've had."

Nussmeier has led LSU to a Top 10 passing offense in America behind over 2,800 yards through the air with 21 touchdowns, but 11 interceptions on the season has stolen headlines.

Now, it's about recovering and ending the 2024 season on a positive note. It starts with Saturday afternoon in Gainesville.

Caden Durham: Running Back

LSU's playbook diversity has been a struggle in 2024 with the rushing attack becoming nonexistent through nine games this season.

Freshman running back Caden Durham has proven he's capable of being LSU's lead back, but after receiving only eight carries for 63 yards on Saturday against Alabama, it became a head scratching decision.

The lack of touches Durham has received can be due to a minor foot injury he's been dealing with, but regardless, the first-year Tiger is deserving of the ball when he is on the field.

Durham is up to 460 yards on 81 carries this season with six touchdowns on the ground paired with 18 receptions for 202 yards and a pair of scores through the air.

Now, with a showdown against a hobbled Gators squad, it'll be about becoming more creative offensively and it will start with the touches from Durham.

Bradyn Swinson: EDGE

Edge rusher Bradyn Swinson will be a name to keep tabs on this weekend in Gainesville against a beat up Florida offense.

All signs point towards Florida signal-caller DJ Lagway lacing up his cleats and giving it a go after missing last Saturday's showdown against Texas with a hamstring injury.

Lagway, a mobile quarterback, will have to be contained from start to finish whether he's 75% healthy or not.

Insert pass rusher Bradyn Swinson as the go-to guy for the Bayou Bengals. He'll have to keep Lagway on his toes, make him uncomfortable and wreak havoc in the backfield to give the LSU defense a boost in the right direction.

The Injury Report: Florida QB DJ Lagway Active

DJ Lagway: Active

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway continues rehabbing a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 10 where many believed his season could likely be finished.

After initial reports came back positive, the Gators' staff elected to sit Lagway last weekend against Texas in order to trend in the right direction.

Then, he returned to the practice fields on Monday.

“We felt good about what we saw this morning,” Napier said on Monday. “It’s day-to-day, and we do anticipate him practicing today.” 

On Wednesday, Napier provided another update on Lagway's status during the Southeastern Conference Teleconference:

“DJ continues to improve,” Napier said. “I think we’ve seen progress every day and I think that’s allowed him to participate more in practice. Obviously we’re kind of controlling that environment, but in general I think we continue to trend in the right direction.”

Lagway was listed as "questionable" on the Southeastern Conference's Week 12 Injury Report on Wednesday evening.

Now, the Gators QB1 is off of the Injury Report with Napier confirming that Lagway will be a full go on Saturday afternoon against the LSU Tigers.

The Gators have battled the injury bug in 2024 with starting quarterback Graham Mertz suffering a torn ACL earlier in the season. Then, it was the five-star freshman in Lagway hitting the recovery table.

“I think that he got better each day. A little bit better with each opportunity,” Napier said Saturday. “I do think that he probably felt as good as he’s felt since the injury today pregame. That’s kind of what he voiced to me. But not quite ready. I think there was risk with putting him out there with a soft-tissue injury. All of the metrics said he’s not quite ready to do it but we’re hopeful. He’s made some progress and we’ll get a good feel for it early next week.”

The Full Florida Injury Report:
DB Ja’Keem Jackson – Out
DB Jason Marshall Jr. – Out
WR Eugene Wilson III – Out
RB Treyaun Webb – Out
ILB Grayson Howard – Out
QB Graham Mertz – Out
DB Asa Turner – Out
WR Kahleil Jackson – Out
DB Devin Moore – Out
OL Devon Manuel – Out
DL Jamari Lyons – Out
RB Montrell Johnson Jr. – Questionable
OL Damieon Georgia Jr. - Questionable

The Full LSU Injury Report:
S Jordan Allen – Out
LB Harold Perkins Jr. – Out
WR Kyle Parker – Out
RB John Emery Jr. – Out
DE Princeton Malbrue – Out
OL Garrett Dellinger – Out
DT Jacobian Guillory – Out
OL Tyree Adams – Questionable
WR CJ Daniels – Probable
S Dashawn Spears – Probable
LB West Weeks – Probable

The Prediction: LSU 27, Florida 20

LSU heads to Gainesville after suffering back-to-back losses to both the Texas A&M Aggies and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Week 12 Southeastern Conference clash provides the Bayou Bengals with a chance to snap the losing skid and turn the corner down the stretch of the 2024 regular season.

But it won't be easy for Kelly and Co. to walk out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium victorious.

LSU is a four-point favorite heading into Saturday night with Vegas insinuating that they believe that Florida quarterback DJ Lagway will be active.

For LSU, they've struggled against mobile quarterbacks all season with Lagway presenting another challenge as a dual-threat signal-caller.

Pair that with the Tigers hitting the road for another SEC contest and it's a recipe for disaster for the LSU program.

It'll be a dogfight on the road, but LSU's personnel will have the edge against a banged up Gators squad.

More LSU News:

The Updated AP Top 25 Poll: Where LSU Football Stands After Week 11

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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