Gary Danielson: Florida getting better QB play than LSU

CBS' lead college football analyst, Gary Danielson, says Florida is getting better quarterback play than LSU entering their Saturday showdown.

Gators sophomore Jeff Driskel “has probably been the surprise of the season so far in the SEC,” said Danielson, who will call the game with Verne Lundquist at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. “That game he pulled off late against Texas A&M was huge for Florida, and his play against Tennessee on the road kind of made the season, and made Florida legit.

“Jeff seems to be getting more and more comfortable, and better and better.”

In No. 10 Florida's 4-0 start, Driskel has thrown for 698 yards and four touchdowns with one interception, and run for 148 yards and another score.

Zach Mettenberger, a strong-armed junior, is being asked to do more than LSU's quarterbacks were last season, Danielson said.

“He's really got the tougher job,” Danielson said of Mettenberger, who's thrown for 1,016 yards and six TDs with two INTs. “I think they're still a bit out of synch there. I think Zach's ready, and the staff's ready, to trust what he does. Zach now is better than the first game and I think Zach will be better at the end of the season than he is right now.”

No. 4 LSU is 5-0 but looked sloppy the last two weeks against Auburn and FCS foe Towson.

“Will it come down to the two quartebacks?” Danielson concluded. “Probably not. But it's hard to imagine either team can win if the QB doesn't have at least his B-plus game.”

Live streaming of the game begins at 3:10 p.m. ET on CBSSports.com's SEC Live. Streaming includes the halftime show and a postgame show from the booth featuring Danielson.

For a complete preview of this SEC East showdown, click here.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from SEC bloggers Daniel Lewis and Larry Hartstein, follow @CBSSportsSEC.