ATLANTA — LSU has a new Southeastern Conference rival?
It's Florida, replacing Alabama, according to LSU junior defensive end Rashard Lawrence of Neville High in Monroe.
"In the SEC, I would have to say, just throughout the years, guys would probably say Florida," Lawrence said at the SEC Media Days this week when asked what school is LSU's No. 1 rival.
"Just because that's a team that, it's always a little bit more to play them. I mean, there's something about them," he said.
There is that whole storm feud that developed in 2016 when Hurricane Matthew postponed the Tigers' game at Gainesville, Florida, originally scheduled for Oct. 8, until a later date that ended up being Nov. 19 in Baton Rouge as both athletic directors and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey struggled to solve the situation.
Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, who has since retired, and Sankey first may have jumped the gun with the decision on Thursday, Oct. 6, not to host the game when they could have waited until Friday to decide to possibly play on Sunday.
Two other games in areas impacted by the storm not far from Gainesville were postponed from Saturday to Sunday, Oct. 9 — Georgia beat South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, and Charlotte beat Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Florida. LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said he would have played on that Sunday.
The two schools had trouble rescheduling the game because of other scheduled games that conflicted. Alleva took a strong stance against losing his Nov. 19 home game date against South Alabama to play at Florida on that date, which irritated Sankey. Finally, a compromise was reached, and Florida agreed to move the game to LSU on Nov. 19 with LSU playing at Florida in both 2017 and this season.
The No. 21 Gators beat No. 16 LSU, 16-10, in Baton Rouge in 2016 to clinch the Eastand cost LSU a Sugar Bowl berth as the Tigers failed to score in the final seconds at the goal line.
"The way I look at it,” Florida coach Jim McElwain said in light of having to move his home game and win at LSU,“they got what they deserved.”
Then unranked LSU beat No. 20 Florida, 17-16, at Florida last year, which contributed to McElwain getting fired. LSU was also selected as Florida's homecoming opponent for that game.
"All that did bring a lot to the rivalry the last few years," Lawrence said.
"Well, from what I know and me being from Louisiana and my history with LSU, it's always been an intense rivalry," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Monday. "Whether it's intense or not because of those circumstances, I can't say. But I tell you what, it's about as intense a rivalry we have, and we respect the University of Florida and we look forward to going and playing a very good Florida team at Gainesville again this year."
Usually, and as recently as last year at the SEC Media Days, LSU players have said the game is Alabama, which has been coached by former LSU head coach Nick Saban since 2007.
But a rivalry loses its sauce when one team wins a bunch in a row. Alabama, for example, has not lost to LSU since Nov. 5, 2011, by 9-6 in overtime in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Tide has since won seven straight, including five of those by double digits.
And Alabama has never seen LSU as its chief rival in the first place. That is Auburn, which has managed to win two of the last five against Alabama despite Alabama winning two of the last three national titles. And Auburn actually leads that series, 9-8, since 2001.
LSU and Florida, meanwhile, have been back and forth. The Tigers led 10-8 since 2000. There has been only one winning streak of more than two over that span with LSU winning three from 2013-15.
The LSU game has been the most significant or one of the most significant games on Alabama's regular season schedule here and there over the last decade, but that doesn't mean it's a rivalry. The 2011 and '12 games, for example, were just big games based on how each team was doing in that specific season.
Florida junior linebacker David Reese II agrees with Lawrence somewhat on the newfound intensity of the LSU-Florida game.
“The LSU game means a lot to me," he said. "I came into the rivalry at a high point, and that game got us to the SEC Championship my freshman year (in 2016). That was an unforgettable game, probably my favorite game of all time. Last year they got the upper hand, but I am looking forward to this year.”
The firing of McElwain, though, could take some of the pepper out of the rivalry. New Florida coach Dan Mullen points instead to Georgia, which is the Gators' traditional No. 1 rival. That series has been close in recent years with Florida leading leading 8-6 since the 2004.
"You're looking at two teams right now that usually you have to beat the other one if you want to get to the championship game," he said. "But the rivalry is a fantastic rivalry. It's one of the most fun games you can be a part of down in Jacksonville."
Can LSU defense carry the offense?
With only two skill position starters returning on LSU's offense in senior tight end Foster Moreau and junior wide receiver Stephen Sullivan, LSU's more well thought of defense may be under pressure to carry its counterpart until it can solidify itself. The offense will be breaking in a new unnamed quarterback, a new unnamed tailback and a host of new wide receivers.
"Well, I wouldn't say so much pressure," Lawrence said. "I would say an opportunity to really sharpen them up. And if we're the best defense in the country, and they get us every day, that's the best we can do — showing them what it's going to be like. If we give them good looks and sharpen them up, that will make them better in the long run."
Worst SEC visitor locker room
Lawrence was also asked what dressing room in the SEC is the worst for a visitor.
"Probably Auburn," he said. "It's small. I mean it's just real small. Not dirty or anything, it's just right there. And you're basically changing next to your teammate three or four inches away from them."
Four-way competition?
LSU coach Ed Orgeron was asked how the addition of Ohio State graduate transfer quarterback Joe Burrow has impacted the other three LSU quarterbacks — Myles Brennan, Justin McMillan and Lowell Narcisse.
"They have a bounce in their step," Orgeron said. "They want to compete to win the starting job, and I believe that all three of them have a chance to do it."
In-and-out offense
New offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger will not completely know what kind of offense he will have this season, or try to have this season, until he knows which quarterback or which two quarterbacks will be playing the most.
"We're going to have 100 percent of the offense in, ready to go for the season opener," Orgeron said of his Sept. 2 game against Miami in Arlington, Texas. "Now, we're going to see what our quarterback can and can't do in the first game. Obviously, we're going to have to cut back a little bit, according to what the quarterback can do."