Stock Report: LSU 17, Florida 16

October 7, 2017 James Moran Football 1

By JAMES MORAN | Tiger Rag Associate Editor

STOCK UP: Matt Canada

Ed Orgeron vowed this week that his meddling in the offense was a one-time thing. Given the keys to the car, Canada dialed up a brilliant game while showcasing the pre-snap shifts and motions that’re staples of his attack. LSU moved the ball steadily against a stout defense despite having three true freshen along the offensive line. The Tigers scored their first touchdown on a jet sweep and their second on a brilliantly-devised goal line pass play set up by pre-snap shifts. Danny Etling found a wide-open Tory Carter in the end zone to put LSU up 17-3.

STOCK UP: Special teams

Maybe LSU does have a kicker. Connor Culp, who won the place kicking job in practice this week, converted 1 38-yard field goal just before the half. Culp and Jack Gonsoulin has made only 3-of-7 field goals through the first five games of the season. His counterpart Eddy Pineiro shanked what would’ve been the game-tying extra point in the fourth quarter. Punter Zach Von Rosenberg helped seal with victory with a 48-yard punt downed at the Florida 4-yard line.

STOCK UP: Air Gage

Perhaps you’ve heard: Russell Gage has some pretty serious hops. Gage got outside on a jet sweep and hurdled a Florida defender to finish off a 15-yard run. A few plays later he took another jet sweep running left and broke free for a 30-yard touchdown scamper without any Gator so much as laying a hand on him. He finished with six carries for 52 yards as the jet sweep came back in force after a one-week hiatus. Gage was also a playmaker on special teams, downing a punt deep in Florida territory and making a tackle on punt coverage.

STOCK DOWN: Run Defense

Florida erased LSU’s 14-point lead in the second half by lining up and running the ball down LSU’s throat. Much like the 2016 meeting in Tiger Stadium, the run defense began to spring leaks in the second half as Florida hammered away with a one-two running back punch. Lamical Perine and Malik Davis combined for 170 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. The Gators averaged more than five yards per carry on the ground and would’ve eclipsed 200 yards rushing were it not for lost sack yardage.

About James Moran 1377 Articles

James Moran was Editor of Tiger Rag from August 2018 to October 2019. He previously served as the associate editor since 2014. He is a graduate of the LSU Manship School of Journalism.