All season, LSU has unleashed senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger on opposing defenses with unflinching confidence, allowing him to lead the Tigers offense with the best quarterback play seen in Baton Rouge in more than a decade.
On Saturday, however, the LSU coaching staff decided stout defense and a strong rushing attack would be the order of the day against visiting Florida. Mettenberger attempted 17 passes, completing nine, for just 152 yards and no touchdowns. That marked season lows in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns for one of the fastest-rising quarterback prospects in the college game.
"He threw the ball when we needed him to," LSU coach Les Miles said. "He played extremely well, and he gave us every opportunity for victory. But really it was kind of (a game for) the big men."
Meanwhile, LSU star running back Jeremy Hill gashed the vaunted Florida defense for 121 yards on 19 carries in a 17-6 LSU win.
With Mettenberger throwing sparsely, the much-anticipated matchup between LSU receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham against Florida cornerbacks Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson -- all juniors who are legitimate NFL prospects -- was largely anti-climactic.
Perhaps that's the way Miles wanted it, not needing to test Florida's cornerbacks when a strong rushing game sufficed. Landry made just four catches, Beckham just two.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
