Florida football: Gators need healthy defense for Georgia
If there is one thing that is certain with Florida football it is the defense. Year after year the consistent part of this team has been it’s great defense.
With the outstanding play of the defensive backs to any linebackers and D lineman that has come through, the defense has been a staple of Florida football this season.
This year has been tough for the Florida football defense as they have struggled with injuries.
It would not surprise me if the total amount of minutes the whole starting defense has played together this season was under 20. With a couple of the big injuries going to the defensive ends, Jabari Zuniga, and Jonathan Greenard.
The defense has stepped up all season and dealt with injuries with the old, “next man up,” attitude and they have done a great job, but to beat Georgia November 2, they will need all hands on deck.
Florida football defense
I’m not saying that there has been this big decline in the defense this year at all. Even with all the different injuries they have sustained, they have still managed some impressive numbers. They lead the SEC in several categories including sacks with 29. That is a great accomplishment for a unit that has not been all together most of the year.
They also lead the SEC in interceptions with 12 with Shawn Davis leading the way with three. It should be no surprise that these two stats are so high. They feed off each other, as when the D line gets the penetration is should get, it frees the DB’s to go more one on one and be able to handle that battle.
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It goes the same when the DB’s are doing a great coverage job, it gives those linemen a chance to get into the backfield. This has been the MO of the defense all year, get pressure, make plays in the defensive backfield. It has not all been good, there have been issues on this defense. The tackling has been an issue from the start.
The missed tackles have given opponents the ability to hang on and stay into games. Take the U.T. Martin game. They should have shut that team out and that game should have over by halftime. But the defense missed tackle after tackle and it kept them in the game.
But over the last couple of games, the problem with the defense has been clear. The missing duo of Jabari Zuniga and Jonathan Greenard has hurt the production of the defense. Against LSU the defense did not have one sack or one interception and gave up 412 total yards. The lack of pressure affects the D Backfield more than anything else.
Against South Carolina, they had three sacks on no interceptions. They also let SC running back Tavien Feaster go for 175 yards and a touchdown. Again missing that pressure up front hurt the overall defense. Anyone can see the difference over the last two weeks in defensive productivity.
Georgia offense
The Georgia offense is very good. They have a complete and balanced offense. The running game is third in SEC and the passing game is seventh with an overall rating in offense of 5th in SEC. They don’t seem to give up sacks as they have only given up four. They also have only thrown for four interceptions. They protect the QB and the ball.
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It will be vital that the Florida football defense is whole and healthy. Getting to the quarterback will be a key factor in this game. The backups to Zuniga and Greenard have played well but have not been able to get penetration or fill the gaps at the rate the starters can.
Jeremiah Moon had a sack last week and does a great job. Zachary Carter and Luke Ancrum are still a little raw and have had a bit of trouble penetrating the line. They have their roles as backups, and in that role this year they fit in fine, but starting them at this point is not good for the Gators.
With Georgia passing for around 234 yards a game and running for about 236. That is a pretty balanced attack and in order to win the game, the Gators will need to be able to stop the run. If Georgia gets over 200 yards on the ground I don’t know if that can be overcome. Pressure on Jake Fromm will go along way so the presence of Greenard and Zuniga will be needed.
They need to get a good pass rush from the outside. This would allow the inside tackles to hold the middle and help stop the run. This will allow for better coverage from corners and help cause turnovers. If they are healthy and put out all the starters on defense, this will be very possible. They can get that rush and stop the run. Without the two outside rushers, the task becomes huge again.
Conclusion
This is a very important time for Florida football. They are at a point in the year where losing is not an option if they want to make a run at the playoffs. The Bulldogs are a very good team that can hurt you if you make a mistake. They run the ball and they pass the ball very well and compliment each aspect. The Gators will need to get some penetration and keep Fromm on his toes and throwing when he does not want to.
The Gators must be at full strength with both ends healthy and ready to perform. If they are then the advantage will be with the Gators. This defense is good enough to control a game and make big plays. If the ends are not healthy then it will take an effort of all those that do play to be as one.
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They must play above themselves and make no mistakes to win. The time is now for Florida football to stand tall and take down the Bulldogs with a fully healthy defense.