Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Pretty amazing, what LSU did over the weekend in stampeding Missouri for 424 rushing yards despite that Leonard Fournette guy being held to just 12 yards. Wow, right? 
 
Wait, what? 
 
Oh. 
 
That was younger brother Lanard Fournette who carried three times for those dozen yards against Mizzou. Turns out, Leonard Fournette, who rushed for 1,952 yards and 22 touchdowns during his First Team All-America 2015 season, didn't even play in the Tigers' 42-7 blowout victory Saturday night due to a sore left ankle. Yet, LSU still steamrolled the other Tigers on the ground on the way to 634 total yards of offense. 
 
That would be, of course, the same LSU (3-2, 2-1) that is headed to the "Swamp" this weekend to face 18th-ranked Florida (4-1, 2-1) Saturday at noon. Fournette, who did a 31-carry, 180-yard, two-touchdown number on the Gators last season in Baton Rouge — and 27 for 140 and two scores as a true freshman here in '14 — is expected back in the lineup against a UF defensive front very much influx. 
 
The Gators, already minus defensive tackle Joey Ivie (thumb), will be without end Jordan Sherit (knee) and maybe fellow end Bryan Cox Jr. (leg) and tackle Caleb Brantley (hand), also. If that's the case, as Coach Jim McElwain intimated Monday, that would be the entire starting UF defensive line sidelined. 
 
Considering Florida came home Saturday with a 13-6 victory at Vanderbilt despite giving up 147 ground yards — including 110 on 24 carries from underrated tailback Ralph Webb — the health of the Gators' front will be closely monitored as the game approaches.
 
"Obviously, that's big," linebacker Alex Anzalone said of the UF laundry list of wounded. "But we have a lot of young guys that can help out and step up. That's why you come to Florida; to play as a freshman. You don't come here to redshirt and do whatever. I think I'm excited to see a lot of the young guys play and step up. It's next man up, and that's our mentality going into this week."
 
 
McElwain was his normally low-key self on the subject of who can play and who can't.
 
"We'll see what happens as the week goes on," he said. 
 
The same applies at quarterback, where Luke Del Rio, who has missed the last two games after injuring his left knee against North Texas, was set to return to the practice field Monday, with increased work loads Tuesday and Wednesday, pending any swelling. A decision on whether Del Rio (61.4 percent, 762 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs in three games) will replace Austin Appleby (61.7 percent, 440 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT in two starts) figures to come later in the week. 
 
Appleby, the fifth-year senior transfer from Purdue, said the uncertainty under center won't change how he gets ready for a game the Gators need to keep within striking distance of Southeastern Conference East Division frontrunner Tennessee. 
 
"I think everybody on this team has a responsibility to play and to prepare to be their very best, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of depth, regardless of whatever, for me to work less hard or put any added pressure on myself because of whatever it may be is cheating my teammates, cheating my coaching staff and cheating Gator Nation," said Appleby, who went 19 of 29 for 144 yards in the win at Vandy. "I've got to prepare the same way, got to prepare to be out there. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to play unless I'm told otherwise. So with that said, I've got to have a great week of practice and be ready to go."
 
Florida managed just 236 yards of offense against the Commodores and twice failed to score touchdowns after driving for first downs inside the Vandy 10. More struggles on the offensive line undermined any kind of rhythm in the running game (35 attempts, 92 yards) and explosive plays in the passing game.
 
Don't attribute those struggles to youth, however. 
 
"You know what? This whole young offensive line thing, I'm over that," McElwain said. "These guys have played enough. I'm not one of these coaches who's going to sit up here and pull the youth card. They've played enough."
 
But not well enough or consistent enough. Through five games, the Gators rate ninth in total offense in the SEC, but just 10th rushing the ball, including three games of 107. In two of those games, UF averaged less than four yards per game; in a third (at Vanderbilt), the Gators averaged just 2.63 per carry. 
 
"No, I'm not disappointed, I think we've done some good things," McElwain said. "Am I excited about where it is? No. Time-frame-wise, we've got to get better play at some positions and we've got to get more energy out of those positions. Yet, that's my responsibility." 
 
On the other side of the ball, defensive players got a lot of questions lobbed their way during the postgame Saturday regarding Vanderbilt's ability to run the ball. There were not, though, a lot of questions about the Commodores putting only a pair of field goals on the scoreboard. The UF defense still rates first in the league in yards (230.4) and points (11.6) surrendered per game. 
 
Now come the Tigers, who appeared rejuvenated against Missouri in the wake of the midseason firing of Coach Les Miles last week.

Enter Ed Orgeron, promoted from defensive line coach to interim head coach. Orgeron, the former Ole Miss head coach (2005-07), put his preference for power football on display, with backup tailback Errius Guice carrying 17 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns, plus Darrel Williams adding another 21 carries for 131. LSU, though, did attempt 30 passes on top of their 52 runs that averaged 8.0 a pop. 
 
The Tigers will come to town ranked 10th in the league in total offense (398.4), but third in rushing (237.0). 
 
And with a healthy Fournette. 
 
Leonard, that is. 
 
"He is as he's advertised. He is the best back in the country, so it's just a challenge for us," Anzalone said. "Watching us play against him in the past, it's worked out kind of in his favor. So I think it's just more focus, more attention to detail for us that we need to have."