The LSU Tigers are looking for revenge against the Florida Gators when the two teams meet at Tiger Stadium this Saturday night. The Gators defeated the Tigers by a score of 26-17 in Gainesville last season, and the defensive front was a big reason why.
In last season's matchup against Florida, Garrett Nussmeier was sacked seven times. The Tiger offensive line had allowed just six sacks in the nine games prior to visiting The Swamp. LSU has a new-look offensive line this season, and preventing Florida's defensive front from wreaking havoc again will be crucial for the Tigers.
But that task just got a whole lot tougher. Florida star defensive tackle Caleb Banks is set to return from injury and make his 2025 debut against the Tigers this weekend. Banks went crazy against LSU last season, racking up a season-high nine QB pressures and one sack.
Caleb Banks presents massive problems for LSU's offensive line
Banks, a redshirt senior, participated in practice this week and was noticeably absent from the Gators' Week 3 injury report. He suffered a lower-leg injury in Fall Camp that forced him to miss Florida's first two games of the season against LIU and USF. But now, he is good to go.
Owning a massive 6-foot-6, 330-pound frame, Banks is an elite pass rusher that can have a direct impact on Saturday's outcome. Last season, he racked up 4.5 sacks to go along with two forced fumbles and seven tackles for loss, and as previously mentioned, played a large part in Florida's win over LSU on Nov. 16.
LSU has a new-look offensive line that has already experienced some ups-and-downs this season. The Tigers allowed just one sack against Clemson's vaunted pass rush in Week 1, but then allowed three sacks to Louisiana Tech in Week 2. It didn't help that starting center Braelin Moore went down with a sprained left ankle on the first play from scrimmage.
The good news is that Moore appears to be trending in the right direction ahead of Saturday's SEC opener. He is officially listed as questionable, but according to Brian Kelly, that could be upgraded to probable by the end of the week. But if he plays, the question remains if he will be at a full 100%.
Moore, and the rest of the offensive line, will need to be at their best going up against Banks and company. After what happened last week, the Gators will bring their best.