BATON ROUGE — Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is in his third season, which is often when a coordinator really makes his mark.

He is the highest paid assistant coach in college football at $2.5 million a year.

He is known for high national finishes in total defense — No. 2 in 2015 at Wisconsin with 268.5 yards allowed a game, No. 10 in 2016 at LSU with 314.4 yards allowed a game that was No. 3 in the Southeastern Conference, and No. 12 last year at LSU with 316.2 yards a game for a No. 4 finish in the SEC.

But at the halfway point of the 2018 season, LSU is 34th in the nation and No. 9 in the SEC in total defense with 343.3 yards allowed a game.

The Tigers also are not living up to their Defensive Back U. moniker as they are No. 59 nationally and No. 9 in the SEC against the pass with 221.7 yards allowed a game. Last year, LSU was No. 21 and No. 6 against the pass with 187.6 yards allowed a game and No. 23 and No. 3 in 2016 with 197.2 yards allowed a game.

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No. 12 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC) would still be ranked in the top five of the national polls going into its 2:30 p.m. CBS game on Saturday in Tiger Stadium against No. 2 Georgia (6-0, 4-0 SEC) if its defense had played according to previous Aranda standards in a 27-19 upset loss at No. 22 Florida last Saturday.

And ESPN's Game Day pregame show would be setting up camp outside Tiger Stadium as we speak.

Instead, LSU's defense could not hold a lead on two critical occasions at Florida under new head coach Dan Mullen, who runs the offense. The Tigers allowed a 75-yard drive in seven plays and just 121 seconds just before the end of the first half to fall behind 14-10, then gave up another 75-yard drive in nine plays over just 2:26 midway in the fourth quarter, relinquishing a 19-14 lead to fall behind 20-19.

Over those 16 plays in the two drives, the Gators faced exactly one third down. Florida gained 215 yards rushing on 43 carries for 5.0 yards a pop. It was the most rushing yards surrendered by an Aranda team since Mississippi State — then coached by Mullen — gained 285 in a 37-7 win over LSU last season.

"They schemed us up really good," LSU junior defensive end Rashard Lawrence said this week. "Coach Mullen, he's a great coach. We adjusted to some of the things, but it was just a heavyweight fight."

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LSU's defense did force three punts in the first half before allowing the first 75-yard touchdown drive that featured no third downs as the Gators went up 14-10.

"It was just like, man, we were getting knocked back on the defensive line," Lawrence said. "They were pitching it and getting it outside. That was something we had to correct on the fly. Like I said, Coach Mullen is a great offensive coordinator. I think we'll be prepared for it next week. We better be because it's a copycat league. Georgia's going to watch the film and see things like that, and we have to clean those things up."

The rushing yards particularly concern LSU coach Ed Orgeron about his defense. Georgia leads the SEC in rushing offense with 245.2 yards a game and is No. 16 in the nation. Tailback Elijah Holyfield leads the Bulldogs with 432 yards on 58 carries, and D'Andre Swift has 290 on 59 carries.

"We started off the season very well," Orgeron said of LSU's defense, which limited then-No. 8 Miami to 83 yards rushing and then-No. 7 Auburn to 130 on the ground. "The 150 yards rushing against Ole Miss was disappointing. And then the 215 yards rushing against Florida was disappointing."

LSU is sixth in the SEC in rush defense with 121.7 yards allowed a game. It finished No. 3 in the league last year with 128.5 yards allowed a game.

"We're not where we want to be as a defense," Orgeron said. "We do believe that we're going to finish strong and have a great defense. We totally believe in Coach Aranda and what he's doing. But you know what, we've got to coach better at some positions and we've got to make plays and execute. Those are the things that hurt us in the game."

Florida wore LSU out as the game got into the late stages. Leading 20-19 in the fourth quarter, Florida ran seven straight times to collect two first downs and eat up 4:03 off the clock before a punt, leaving LSU with 2:21 to go. Quarterback Joe Burrow soon threw the interception to Brad Stewart, who returned it 25 yards for a touchdown and 27-19 lead.

"They had some good runs drawn up," Lawrence said. "Those backs, (Lamical) Perine and (Jordan) Scarlett, they just pound on you, pound on you, pound on you. And you've got to be ready for that."

Perine led the Gators with 85 yards on 17 carries, and Scarlett gained 66 on 14 carries.

"The first couple of series, we held them in check," Lawrence said as Florida punted on three of its first four possessions. "But, man, as the game went on, it was a pounding."

Orgeron has also criticized his defense's pass rush for most of the season. And against Florida, LSU did not sack the quarterback in a game for the first time since losing to Notre Dame, 31-28, on Dec. 30, 2014, in the Music City Bowl.

"We had some guys who had some good rushes, but it wasn't good enough," Orgeron said.

"We almost got there, but almost doesn't count in the SEC," Lawrence said. "We hit him (quarterback Feleipe Franks) a lot. Coach says we've just got to keep rushing. Sacks are going to come."

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, meanwhile, is No. 3 in the SEC in passing efficiency at 192.5 with 83 completions in 114 attempts for 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns with two interceptions.

"We've got to get more pressure on the quarterback against Georgia," Lawrence said. "He's very good and gets the ball off quick."

LSU was without starting middle linebacker Jacob Phillips for the Florida game because of an injury. He has practiced this week and is expected to play against Georgia. True freshman Micah Baskerville replaced Phillips and finished with a team-high 13 tackles, but should have had more.

"Jacob's going to help us," Orgeron said. "I thought Micah played well, but he had five missed tackles and he had some missed fits. I think Jacob's experience is going to help us there."

What was frustrating to Lawrence was LSU tended to control the line of scrimmage at Florida, but kept getting gashed. There were six rushes for 10 yards or more and three completions of 26 yards or more.

"It was technical things," Lawrence said. "Adjustments got us. As a defense, we have to do a better job of adjusting. Little things can get you beat."