The Sunshine Showdown: Florida State vs. Florida Preview and Prediction

Nov 21, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Treon Harris (3) scrambles against Florida Atlantic Owls defensive lineman Hunter Snyder (94) during the second quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Florida Preview

The Gators enter the annual rivalry limping a bit after three straight unimpressive wins — including a 20-14 overtime victory over 2-9 Florida Atlantic as the most recent.

Quarterback Treon Harris threw two touchdowns, including the game-winner to tight end Jake McGee, to bring his total to eight for the year. Still, Harris is only completing 54.6 percent of his passes this season after taking over as the starter for suspended QB Will Grier.

Florida ran for 131 yards behind running back Kelvin Taylor’s 105-yard, one touchdown performance against the Owls — making it his fourth game to exceed 100 yards and his tenth of eleven that he’s found pay dirt.

The Gators are averaging nearly 138 yards on the ground per game and have rushed for 19 touchdowns this season, with 13 of those belonging to Taylor.

With that said, Florida State allows just 144 rushing yards per game.  They did surrender 165 and a score to FCS foe Chattanooga, however, despite causing two turnovers.

Thus, Florida’s defense will need to be the one to steal the show Saturday night.

The Gators’ defense has been stout all year, only giving up an average of 13.8 points and 281.7 total yards of offense this season. If Florida is to pull the upset, it’s likely going to be because of its unrelenting defensive efforts.

Next: X-factors