Ever since a 27-3 victory over Georgia on Halloween, the Gators have been limping toward the finish line with three underwhelming November wins (9-7 vs. Vanderbilt, 24-14 vs. South Carolina and 20-14 vs. Florida Atlantic).

The No. 12 Gators (10-1) will have to figure out a way to outscore No. 13 Florida State (9-2) if  they hope to keep their playoff hopes alive. In coach Jim McElwain’s debut season, Florida already has swept the SEC East (6-0) and guaranteed a trip to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. A victory over FSU would give UF a clean sweep of its three biggest rivals (Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State) and a perfect 7-0 home record.

Here are the three biggest keys for Florida in Saturday’s showdown:

1. Contain Dalvin Cook
FSU’s star running back averages a dangerous 8 yards per carry (185 carries, 1,475 yards) thanks to his ability to break off long runs and make defenders miss. Cook’s box scores from this season regularly list runs of more than 70 yards. One missed assignment or broken tackle can result in a touchdown when Cook has the ball in his hands.

Florida brings the No. 8 rushing defense (108.3 yards per game) into the contest, but struggled with the Tennessee running attack of QB Joshua Dobbs and RB Jalen Hurd (46 carries, 238 yards, 2 TD) and against LSU RB Leonard Fournette (31 carries, 180 yards, 2 TD). The Florida defense will have a razor-thin margin for error when Cook is carrying the ball.

2. Win the turnover battle
The Gators own the 13th-best turnover margin in FBS, the highest ranking from the SEC. The Florida defense has forced 24 turnovers, while the offense has only given it away 14 times on the season. The Gators’ four offensive turnovers against Vanderbilt almost cost them the game.

Turnovers are the great equalizer in keeping points off the board. As Florida’s offense struggles to move the ball, a lower-scoring game seemingly gives the Gators a better chance to win. The Florida State offense turned the ball over five times against North Carolina State on Nov. 14.

3. Control field position with the punting game
One way the Gators can give both their offense and defense an edge is to win the battle of the boot.

Punter Johnny Townsend has been an x-factor for the Gators, averaging 43.8 yards per punt, booting 18 punts in excess of 50 yards and pinning opposing offenses inside the 20-yard line on 25 occasions. The combination of poor starting field position and the UF defense’s ability to get the ball is a nightmare for opposing offenses.

Any time FSU has to punt, keep an eye on WR/PR Antonio Callaway. The freshman speedster has two punt returns of more than 50 yards this season, most memorably a 72-yard return for a touchdown against LSU on Oct. 17.