Defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr. on the call after Caleb Brantley's sack for a safety gave the Gators an early lead against North Texas. (Photo: Jay Metz/For UAA Communications)
Gators D-Line Focused on Containing Dobbs
Thursday, September 22, 2016 | Football
The Vols quarterback had huge impact in last year's matchup.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida defense learned a season ago how dangerous Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs is.
Dobbs led the Volunteers in rushing (136 yards), passing (10 of 17, 83 yards), and even receiving (58 yards) against the Gators. Antonio Callaway's 63-yard touchdown reception with 1:26 remaining helped the Gators execute a late-game comeback to give Florida its 11th straight win in the series.
But the Gators know they'll have to be on top of their game Saturday at Neyland Stadium to make it 12.
For UF's defense, keeping Dobbs contained is no trivial task. He's made a habit of torching defenses on the ground in his career, and he's already showcased his rushing abilities in a comeback win against Virginia Tech – a game in which he notched 106 yards and two scores on 14 carries.
Still, the Gators sound more than prepared.
"I have a lot of faith in the defensive line," Gators cornerback Quincy Wilson said.
Although Wilson is part of one of the top secondaries in the nation, Wilson is right to point toward the defensive line as the key to this game. Dobbs had modest passing yards last year against Florida, and he's averaging just 162 yards passing per game through the first three weeks this season.
"We're really focused on stopping the run game," said sophomore defensive lineman Khairi Clark. "Dobbs is a great quarterback. I feel that for us up front, we definitely have to put pressure on him. He's a running quarterback and he can pass. You've just got to put a lot of pressure on him."
In the wake of the challenge, Clark pointed toward excitement in the team's preparation for traveling to Knoxville. The rivalry bug seems to be in full effect and there was certainly an air of confidence surrounding the defense's outlook.
The Gators are coming off their most dominant defensive performance in school history, limiting North Texas to only 53 yards in a 32-0 win. Florida had seven sacks, including one by Caleb Brantley in the first quarter for a safety.
Last season's heroics against Tennessee were prefaced by the Volunteers building a 20-7 lead until the latter part of the third quarter. But the Gators defense seems to be taking a back-to-basics approach in making sure the young offense doesn't have to face that type of deficit this time around.
"At times, some guys did more than they should have," Wilson said. "We're just working on everybody doing their jobs."
It was an attitude echoed by Coach Jim McElwain when he suggested that the team was trying to do too much in last year's game. It was something that led to fundamental miscues, missed tackles being at the core of the issue.
"We're going to have to maintain our rush lanes when they do throw it and get him hopefully a little uncomfortable and not be able to get his feet set exactly like he wants to and not let him take over the game with his feet like he did against us last year," McElwain said.
Florida (3-0, 1-0) enters Saturday's SEC East showdown against the Vols (3-0) ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense (129.7 yards per game).
Dobbs will undoubtedly be the toughest quarterback the defense has dealt with, but the Gators defense has already proven capable of applying plenty of pressure.
In a young 2016 season, the Gators have essentially bullied opposing offensive lines. The team has accounted for 16 sacks against their first three opponents, with freshman Jabari Zuniga leading the way with four.
Five guys have at least two sacks to their name, and 10 players have been credited in the category. This is very much a new-look line. Former linemen Jonathan Bullard and Alex McCalister highlighted defensive play for the Gators in the past, but in their wake, the young line is now brimming with potential for getting after the quarterback.
No wonder the defense is eager to test their strengths in a tough SEC contest.
"It's one of the biggest rivalries that we have this year and it's going to be played at their stadium," Clark said. "So we have to come in with a mindset of just saying, 'we're the Florida Gators and they're not.' "
A win would preserve a flawless record for the Gators – and the coveted 12th consecutive victory in the classic rivalry.
Dobbs led the Volunteers in rushing (136 yards), passing (10 of 17, 83 yards), and even receiving (58 yards) against the Gators. Antonio Callaway's 63-yard touchdown reception with 1:26 remaining helped the Gators execute a late-game comeback to give Florida its 11th straight win in the series.
But the Gators know they'll have to be on top of their game Saturday at Neyland Stadium to make it 12.
For UF's defense, keeping Dobbs contained is no trivial task. He's made a habit of torching defenses on the ground in his career, and he's already showcased his rushing abilities in a comeback win against Virginia Tech – a game in which he notched 106 yards and two scores on 14 carries.
Still, the Gators sound more than prepared.
"I have a lot of faith in the defensive line," Gators cornerback Quincy Wilson said.
Although Wilson is part of one of the top secondaries in the nation, Wilson is right to point toward the defensive line as the key to this game. Dobbs had modest passing yards last year against Florida, and he's averaging just 162 yards passing per game through the first three weeks this season.
"We're really focused on stopping the run game," said sophomore defensive lineman Khairi Clark. "Dobbs is a great quarterback. I feel that for us up front, we definitely have to put pressure on him. He's a running quarterback and he can pass. You've just got to put a lot of pressure on him."
In the wake of the challenge, Clark pointed toward excitement in the team's preparation for traveling to Knoxville. The rivalry bug seems to be in full effect and there was certainly an air of confidence surrounding the defense's outlook.
The Gators are coming off their most dominant defensive performance in school history, limiting North Texas to only 53 yards in a 32-0 win. Florida had seven sacks, including one by Caleb Brantley in the first quarter for a safety.
Last season's heroics against Tennessee were prefaced by the Volunteers building a 20-7 lead until the latter part of the third quarter. But the Gators defense seems to be taking a back-to-basics approach in making sure the young offense doesn't have to face that type of deficit this time around.
"At times, some guys did more than they should have," Wilson said. "We're just working on everybody doing their jobs."
It was an attitude echoed by Coach Jim McElwain when he suggested that the team was trying to do too much in last year's game. It was something that led to fundamental miscues, missed tackles being at the core of the issue.
"We're going to have to maintain our rush lanes when they do throw it and get him hopefully a little uncomfortable and not be able to get his feet set exactly like he wants to and not let him take over the game with his feet like he did against us last year," McElwain said.
Florida (3-0, 1-0) enters Saturday's SEC East showdown against the Vols (3-0) ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense (129.7 yards per game).
Dobbs will undoubtedly be the toughest quarterback the defense has dealt with, but the Gators defense has already proven capable of applying plenty of pressure.
In a young 2016 season, the Gators have essentially bullied opposing offensive lines. The team has accounted for 16 sacks against their first three opponents, with freshman Jabari Zuniga leading the way with four.
Five guys have at least two sacks to their name, and 10 players have been credited in the category. This is very much a new-look line. Former linemen Jonathan Bullard and Alex McCalister highlighted defensive play for the Gators in the past, but in their wake, the young line is now brimming with potential for getting after the quarterback.
No wonder the defense is eager to test their strengths in a tough SEC contest.
"It's one of the biggest rivalries that we have this year and it's going to be played at their stadium," Clark said. "So we have to come in with a mindset of just saying, 'we're the Florida Gators and they're not.' "
A win would preserve a flawless record for the Gators – and the coveted 12th consecutive victory in the classic rivalry.
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