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Ed Orgeron is used to going to Gainesville with his back against the wall.
Rewind to 2017. LSU was 3-2, winless in the SEC, and fresh off a home loss to Troy when Orgeron led the Tigers into The Swamp.
They came away with a 17-16 win, salvaging the season and setting the tone for a program that would hoist the national championship trophy 818 days later.
A repeat effort would be awfully nice Saturday. The Tigers are 1-2 for the first time since 1994 and take on a Florida team with a potent offense and a point of its own to prove after a road loss to Texas A&M.
Orgeron's defining trait as a coach has been his ability to catalyze failure into motivation for success. The Tigers need every bit of that energy this week, because to beat the Gators, there is plenty to fix, enough to build off of, and little time to do both.
For Orgeron, it starts with him and his coaching staff, first and foremost.
"It starts with the coaches," Orgeron said Monday. "We've got to coach them better. There's some things going on on that film, some busts, guys running wide open. Not the right calls on the goalline. We didn't block some people. As coaches, we've got to clean stuff up.
"It starts with me. We've got to be accountable. We've got to be detailed."
Time to simplify
The biggest challenge of the week will be to fix a defense that ranks 51st of 76 teams in scoring defense, 71st in total defense, and 75th in passing defense.
Orgeron said the defense will do two things, primarily: change personnel up front to get bigger on te defensive line and stop the run, and simplify coverage schemes.
"We're definitely going to simplify," Orgeron said. "There's no question about that. I'm going to make sure that any defense that's called – Bo's going to call the defense – but I'm going to make sure any one that's called, we run it right, all week. If we don't understand it, we're not going to run it."
In the season opener against Mississippi State, LSU blitzed often and played Cover 1 behind it – man to man across the board with a single deep safety. The Tigers blitzed on 34 of 66 (52%) pass rush snaps and ran Cover 1 on 49 of 78 (63%) of total defensive snaps against Mississippi State, according to Pro Football Focus. But without Consensus All-American corner Derek Stingley, the Tigers struggled in one on one coverage.
That's meant more zone coverage the last two weeks (just 18 of 70 snaps [26%] in cover 1 against Vanderbilt; no stats available yet for Missouri), with success against Vanderbilt and none against Missouri. LSU looked out of sorts against Missouri, with multiple busted coverages allowing wide open receivers to score easily.
"We've got to simplify," Orgeron said. "I told both Steve (Ensminger, LSU's offensive coordinator) and Bo (Pelini, LSU's defensive coordinator) to simplify. Make sure our players can do it. I don't care if we have to play one defense or one coverage. Play it, and play it right."
Brennan Marshall 2020
While the defense has struggled, the offense has not, ranking 5th in passing offense and 17th in scoring and total offense. While far from perfect and with still plenty to fix, the Tigers' have moved the ball effectively, thanks to the continually improving play of Myles Brennan and the sheer dominance of Terrace Marshall Jr.
Brennan had his best day against Missouri, throwing for 430 yard and four touchdowns. Mizzou decided to stack the box and play its safeties closer to the line, and Brennan did a masterful drop throwing it behind them.
Missouri's plan did stop LSU from running the ball consistently, but it left Marshall on an island with space to run into. Last year, Justin Jefferson was the Tigers' dominant threat in the middle of the field, but this year, it's Marshall's territory. On throws of 20+ yards between the hashes, Marshall has caught 4-of-4 targets for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Brennan improved outside of the pocket, completing 5-of-9 passes (with two throwaways) for 70 yards and a touchdown when scrambling. He extended plays with his legs beautifully on his second touchdown to Marshall and another long completion to Marshall down the right sideline. He also improved against pressure, which is usually the area first-year starters struggle with most early.
Brennan shined despite taking an early hit outside of the pocket and dealing with pain the rest of the game. He won't practice Monday while he recovers – Orgeron expects him back Tuesday – but he proved Saturday he had the guts to stand tall when times were tough.
"I'm probably most proud of him for taking that hit on the sideline and coming back," Orgeron said. "The question was, was he tough enough to take a hit? I thought he was.
"But I always said we've got to wait in the game to see if he can do it. And he came back, he stepped up in the pocket, he made great decisions.
"He took the big hit down near the goalline, and he kept on comin'."
Ground work
All is not perfect for LSU's offense. The run game was out of sorts Saturday, which proved costly on a game-ending goal-line stand from Missouri. Twice LSU tried to punch it in on the ground from one yard out, and twice they failed. The two ensuing pass attempts fell incomplete, and the Tigers lost.
"No excuse on the goalline," Orgeron said. "None whatsoever.
"We need to get our best personnel in the game. When we're driving, we should get the best personnel in the game that fits the plays we're calling. We should've had a better plan on the goalline."
Arik Gilbert, who had 97 yards receiving and a touchdown, wasn't in during the crucial goal-line stand. But if the Tigers score on the ground, he's not missed.
Orgeron said Missouri stacked the box – see above – and limited what LSU could do in the run. The Tigers are averaging just 1.39 yards before contact, 31st among 38 Power 5 offenses.
"We do have to be more creative in the run game," Orgeron said. "I believe that when we get our guys outside, especially John Emery, we can get outside and run the football. We've got to be able to run the ball better on first down."
Emery has 98 yards on 13 first down carries this season, but he got just one first down carry Saturday, with 5:08 left in the fourth quarter.
As a result, LSU struggled in third down situations, going 0-for-10 and facing a season-worst 9.7 yards, on average, to move the chains.
But third and short has been the bigger issue for the Tigers in 2020, as they've converted only 50% of their third downs of two yards or fewer.

It’s fall in Louisiana, and that means football, gumbo and constitutional amendments.
The state’s 1974 Constitution already has been amended to the point where it’s more amendment than constitution. Voters will choose whether to add seven more amendments when they go to the polls Nov. 3 or vote early beginning Friday and continuing to Oct. 27.
The topics range from the most divisive issue of all, abortion, to the formula for deciding how much money the state government gets to spend.
Here’s a list of the amendments on the Nov. 3 ballot. The accompanying information relies heavily on the Public Affairs Research Council’s often-cited guide to the amendments.

Amendment 1
“Do you support an amendment declaring that, to protect human life, a right to abortion and the funding of abortion shall not be found in the Louisiana Constitution?”
Louisiana already has an amendment that would ban abortions here if the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision is overturned. The 1973 ruling prohibits states from outlawing abortion outright.
This amendment has more to do with what other courts might do.
Proponents say courts in other states have interpreted their constitutions as protecting the right to an abortion or upholding government funding of abortions. This amendment is designed to head off similar rulings in Louisiana.

Amendment 2
“Do you support an amendment to permit the presence or production of oil or gas to be included in the methodology used to determine the fair market value of an oil or gas well for the purpose of property assessment?”
Currently, producers pay severance taxes on oil and gas produced, but wells are subject to local property taxes. Assessors are forbidden by the state constitution from taking the income and potential income of a well into account when determining the tax bill. That forces assessors to turn to what some consider less precise measures such as well’s market value.
The amendment would change that by allowing production to be factored into a well’s tax assessment. There’s nothing in the bill that would specifically raise taxes. But PAR’s analysis says the amendment would result in a shift of tax liability away from shut-in wells or wells that produce little to wells that are more productive.

Amendment 3
“Do you support an amendment to allow for the use of the Budget Stabilization Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, for state costs associated with a disaster declared by the federal government?”
The state government has its Budget Stabilization Fund, or Rainy Day Fund, that can be used to cover shortfalls in revenue and meet the constitutional requirement to balance the state budget. Two-thirds of both legislative chambers must agree to tap the fund, and its use is limited to the amount of the anticipated deficit or one-third of the total fund, whichever is smaller.
After a federally declared disaster such as a hurricane or flood, the federal government will often reimburse a large percentage of the state’s disaster response spending. But the required match or the need to spend up front and wait for reimbursement can put a big burden on the state budget.
The amendment would allow Rainy Day Fund money to be used for the match or up-front money. Two-thirds of both legislative chambers must still approve the use of the fund for disaster response, and no more than one-third of the fund can be used for disaster response.

Amendment 4
“Do you support an amendment to limit the growth of the expenditure limit for the state general fund and dedicated funds and to remove the calculation of its growth factor from the Constitution?”
The Louisiana Legislature is required by constitution to balance the state budget and to limit spending to the officially determined estimate of revenue. In addition, the growth in general fund spending and expenditures in various dedicated funds is limited to a percentage that is currently based on the growth in Louisiana’s personal income.
PAR says the current growth factor is 2.97%, for example.
The amendment would require legislators to come up with a new method for determining the growth factor and to limit growth to no more than 5% in any case. Legislators would have the option of changing the growth factor each year provided two-thirds of both chambers go along.
The amendment would take effect in 2023. Under legislation designed to accompany the amendment, the growth limit for fiscal 2024 would average personal income, state GDP, the Consumer Price Index and population growth to fix the growth factor.
In fiscal 2024, the growth factor would be reduced from 2.84% to 1.77%. In 2025, it would fall from 4.59% to 3.37%.

Amendment 5
“Do you support an amendment to authorize local governments to enter into cooperative endeavor ad valorem tax exemption agreements with new or expanding manufacturing establishments for payments in lieu of taxes?”
Currently, the constitution recognizes certain tax incentives for economic development projects. One method now in use is called Payments in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT. Business and local governments agree that ownership of the development project would be given to a local government and leased back to the business, so the development wouldn’t be subject to property taxes. In exchange, the business agrees to a fixed payment to the local government.
The business gets certainty about its costs under the PILOT, and the local governments get more than they would under the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, which offers a property exemption for up to 10 years.
The amendment would allow PILOT projects for manufacturers without the need to transfer ownership to the local government, which PAR says could be important for existing industry seeking a tax break for an expansion. The manufacturer would still be exempt from property taxes by the government with which it has the agreement and would make PILOT payments instead.
Projects must still meet the standards under the Industrial Tax Exemption Program.

Amendment 6
“Do you support an amendment to increase the maximum amount of income a person may receive and still qualify for the special assessment level for residential property receiving the homestead exemption?”
In Louisiana, homes eligible for the homestead exemption and owned by certain classes of homeowners are protected from increases in the assessments on which taxes are based. The classes include people over 65, the totally disabled and the surviving spouses of members of the military who were killed in action.
But the freeze applies only to taxpayers with annual incomes of less than about $77,000.
The income limit would be adjusted each year based on the rate of inflation.
The amendment would raise the income limit to $100,000.
About 180,000 Louisiana homes are eligible for the freeze, and about 90% of them are because the homeowner is over 65.

Amendment 7
“Do you support an amendment to create the Louisiana Unclaimed Property Permanent Trust Fund to preserve the money that remains unclaimed by its owner or owners?”
Despite recent efforts by the state government, millions of dollars owed to Louisiana residents remain in state hands each year because people don’t claim money from “unclaimed bank accounts, insurance payments, energy bill excesses that were meant to be reimbursed but the original utility customer could not be found, and similar rebates,” PAR says.
Currently, money in the Unclaimed Property Program in excess of claims can be used for general state spending. By law, $15 million must, by law, go toward Interstate 49 bonds each year. Another $2.5 million goes toward the cost of administering the program.
The rest can be used for general state spending.
The amendment would create the Louisiana Unclaimed Property Permanent Trust Fund. Unclaimed money in excess of claims would remain in the fund.
The money in the fund would be invested, and the return on the investment could be used for state spending. The I-49 bond and administrative obligations would still be paid.
But the principle would remain in the fund awaiting claims by their rightful owners.

Find the Louisiana Budget Project guide to the amendments at this link. A link to a .pdf of the PAR guide appears below.

Morgan City voters can see the candidates for mayor in an online forum Wednesday night. But the prospects for a district attorney candidate forum are suddenly uncertain.
KWBJ will host a live event for the mayoral candidates on its YouTube channel 7-8 p.m. Wednesday.
The candidates are Lee Dragna, Don Hicks and Kevin Voisin. KWBJ’s Danika Foley will be the moderator.
The St. Mary Chamber will have a forum for mayoral candidates at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
Meanwhile, the Chamber sent an email Tuesday canceling its scheduled Monday forum for district attorney candidates in the 16th Judicial District, which covers St. Mary, St. Martin and Iberia parishes. The forum was to be held at the Patterson Area Civic Center.
Incumbent District Attorney “Bo” Duhe is being challenged by former 16th JDC Judge Lori Landry.
Duhe will be out of town Monday to attend a meeting of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, Chamber President Donna Meyer said in an email.
“I am so sorry that we are having to cancel,” Meyer wrote.
In an email response, Landry said she’s still available to the forum.
“As you know, this matter has been on our calendar for approximately two months and; I have declined other obligations because of its importance and my word …,” Landry wrote.
“Mr. Duhe’s unavailability should not deny me the right to speak to the citizens about my candidacy and the election. I participated in another event last Thursday as the only candidate that committed for the same reasons stated above and this is no different"

Sara Leburna Marino Mahfouz, 86, passed away on Monday, October 12, 2020, peacefully, sur-rounded by her family.
She will be deeply missed by three sons, Joseph L. Mahfouz and wife Melinda, Chris A. Mahfouz and wife Susan, and Paul M. Mahfouz and wife April; six grandchildren, Timothy Mahfouz, Rebecca Philbrook and husband Thomas, Reid Stewart and husband Zachary, Colby Mahfouz and wife Tiffany, Zachary Mahfouz, and Jake Mahfouz; and one great-grandchild, Abigail Philbrook.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph P. Mahfouz; her parents, Luke Marino and Katy G. Marsden; one sister, Linda Divetro; and one brother, Michael Marino.
Sara enjoyed cooking and spending time with her family. She was exceptional at giving speeches at any family gathering. These speeches will forever live in the hearts of her family. Sara never met a stranger and would wave or say hello to everyone she came into contact with. She was a champion at giving compliments; if you spent any time with her, you received one. She either loved your hair, your shoes, or just told you, you were pretty. Sara was a kind soul and will be greatly missed by anyone who knew her.
Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 16, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Toto officiating. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. Friday, October 16, 2020, at Twin City Funeral Home. Masks will be required upon entering Sacred Heart Church. Sara will be en-tombed in the Berwick Cemetery Mausoleum at a later date.
Pallbearers will be Timothy Mahfouz, Colby Mahfouz, Zach Mahfouz, Jake Mahfouz, Thomas Philbrook and Zachary Stewart.
A heartfelt appreciation is extended by the Mahfouz family to Dr. William Cefalu and his staff, as well as the nurses of Heart of Hospice for their kindness, compassion, and care given to Sara and her family during their time of need.