BATON ROUGE – LSU’s schedule has been anything but easy up to this point as five weeks into the season, the Tigers have faced a pair of top 25 teams along with three Southeastern Conference opponents. The slate continues to be tough on Saturday as the Tigers travel to Gainesville to battle 12th-ranked Florida at 6:30 p.m. CT in a game that will be televised nationally by ESPN.
“The good news is we have played two games on the road, so how we travel and what we do on the road, has already been established,” LSU coach Les Miles said following Wednesday’s workout. “That is certainly a nice feeling, especially for coaches. The fact that we have played some quality opponents help you in a game like this. We understand that this is a great challenge to us. Florida has a very talented team and it’s going to take great effort and execution for four quarters.”
LSU brings a 5-0 overall mark and a 3-0 league record into the game. Florida is 4-1 overall and 2-1 in conference action. Last year, Florida beat LSU, 13-3, in Tiger Stadium.
“We’ve had a really good week of practice up to this point,” Miles said. “I like the focus and the intensity on the practice field this week. It appears to me that most of the bumps and bruises from last week’s game have been healed.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Miles announced that redshirt freshman Sam Montgomery will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Montgomery, who had 18 tackles and a team-high six tackles for losses, has started all five games at defensive end for the Tigers.
“Everybody misses Sam,” Miles said. “We understand that injuries are part of the game. Sam did a great job for us during the first five games of the year. We are going to have to turn to some of the other defensive linemen and have them step up for us.”
One player that the Tigers will get back this week is junior defensive end Kendrick Adams, who missed last week’s with a foot injury. In four starts this year, Adams has 10 tackles and one tackle for a loss. Miles said that he expects Lavar Edwards (4 tackles, 1 sack) to step in and get additional snaps in Montgomery’s absence.
Miles said after practice on Wednesday that the Tigers will again go with a two-quarterback system against Florida with both Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee seeing action at the position.
“I think it will probably go the same way (as last week).” Miles said of the quarterback rotation. “I think we will certainly get a feel for what is best, but there is a really good menu for both and we expect both guys to have success.”
Last week, Lee threw for 185 yards and Jefferson rushed for 100 yards in the victory over Tennessee as the Tigers had statistically their best offensive day of the year with 434 yards – 219 rushing, 215 passing.
LSU will practice against on Thursday and then depart for Gainesville on Friday morning.