Listen Now! Do Gators have a chance at beating LSU? It doesn't look good but it's possible
The first time Florida played LSU in football, Franklin D. Roosevelt was President of the United States.
The highest grossing movie for the entire year was “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
And Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” was the top song of the year.
If by now you haven’t guessed, the year was 1937.
Florida’s head coach was Josh Cody while LSU was led by Bernie Moore.
The two teams met on the opening weekend of the college football season, Sept. 25, 1937.
Tigers quarterback Young Bussey scored two touchdowns and kicked the only successful extra point as LSU defeated Florida 19-0.
The two teams next played in 1941, with LSU again winning, this time 10-7.
They wouldn’t meet again until 1953, the year they began playing yearly.
The Gators and Tigers have played every year since, aside from a three-year stretch from 1968-70.
The series could be tied 33-33-3. However, in 2023 LSU was forced to vacate three wins against Florida from 2013-15. Given that, Florida leads the series 33-30-3.
LSU is on a four-game winning streak against Florida, winning 45-35 in 2022.
When the two teams play Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it will be the 70th meeting.
Can Florida overcome being 13-point underdogs to upset LSU after a bad overtime loss to Arkansas?
Or will LSU rebound from its loss to Alabama to beat the Gators for the fifth straight time?
On the latest episode of “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast,” powered by the USA Today Network, Koki Riley of The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, Louisiana, and Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun break down this weekend’s SEC showdown.
Koki will break down what went right and wrong for LSU in a tough loss to Alabama last weekend. He'll also bring us up to speed on the condition of LSU's star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who suffered a concussion during LSU's loss to Alabama last weekend. His status could greatly affect the outcome of this game.
"He was in concussion protocol and was taken out of the Alabama game because of that. He did enter the game briefly after he got hit, though, which was pretty weird given that he again came out because of concussion. Kind of want to figure out what the heck happened there," Koki says during the podcast. "So yeah, that's kind of the status of Jayden. It sounds like he's day to day, but again, I wouldn't be surprised at all at all if he's not available."
Kevin will talk about Florida and how the Gators could let a 2-6 Arkansas get the better of them. He'll also discuss the hope Gators fans may have, especially if Daniels doesn't play.
"I think if Jayden Daniels is playing, I would take LSU even with the 13 points," Kevin says during the podcast. "Maybe if (Garrett) Nussmeier plays, maybe it's more of a game for Florida because I think that's how good Jayden Daniels is."
There's a lot to sort out, so follow all the reporting by both beat writers.
Kevin can be found at gainesville.com while Koki can be found at theadvertiser.com.
If you’re a fan of the Gators or Tigers, or just love a long-standing college football rivalry, you have to check out this podcast.
Find out why tens of thousands of fans have checked us out and why our journalists give you the best sports breakdowns in the state.
We can be downloaded wherever you listen to podcasts, or simply type in “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast” into your favorite search engine. We also can be found on any of the 17 USA TODAY-Network Florida websites.
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Contact Walters at twalters@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Podcast looks at Saturday's Gators at LSU matchup with two beat writers
