The Florida Gators and LSU Tigers are longtime rivals. The two SEC powers have clashed 71 times, resulting in a 34-34-3 all-time record heading into Saturday’s game.
This weekend, the Gators enter unranked while No. 3 LSU looks to stay on track as a College Football Playoff contender.
Former Florida head coach Urban Meyer, who knows this rivalry well, recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming matchup, noting just how intense it can get.
“I told you this one pains me, man. (LSU) was where the old lady flipped me off as I was coming into a night game. She put the walker down, didn’t throw it away because she couldn’t walk, and then double birded me,” said Meyer during The Triple Option podcast.
“And you hear things hitting the bus as it goes in there and one guy threw that stuff on me. So that is a nasty, rugged (venue). So, what time is the game? It’s a night one. We won one game at night down there. We were 1-2 or 1-3 down there.”
Meyer led the Gators from 2005 to 2010, winning two national and SEC championships (2006, 2008), and coaching a Heisman Trophy winner in Tim Tebow. During his tenure, he battled LSU in some of the most memorable games in the rivals’ history.
Despite being a Gator through and through, and even having success during his tenure as head a coach, Meyer believes Saturday’s game won’t be successful for the Gators, who are currently led by Billy Napier.
“It’s a rugged place and they just don’t lose. I think Brian Kelly has got it going. I’m a Gator and I am a Gator fan and don’t want to do this, but I’m picking LSU,” Meyer said in the podcast’s picks segment.
Meyer’s words echo what many in college football already know: Death Valley at night is one of the toughest environments in sports. LSU has built a reputation for defending its home turf under the lights, and Meyer acknowledged just how daunting that challenge is.
The Gators and Tigers are set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET for a game that will be broadcast on ESPN. The Gators will look to gain their first win versus a ranked opponent on the season, while the Tigers will try to defend their spot at No. 3. This matchup promises a showdown and an anticipated nail-biter for fans and analysts alike.
