Gators' Defense Seeks to Set Tone in Opener
Friday, August 31, 2012 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It was puzzling. Gators coach Will Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn were asked about it regularly.
Muschamp quipped more than once since last season that if you truly analyze his first season, a 7-6 record seems like "a minor miracle."
The one statistic Muschamp points to most often in that assessment – and the one that prompted so many questions -- is turnover margin. The Gators finished last in the SEC and 113th nationally with a minus-12 margin. SEC-leader LSU finished plus-20 in the all-important category, a 32-margin advantage over the Gators.
Other than Ole Miss (minus-8) – the Rebels finished 2-10, 0-8 in the SEC -- the Gators were the only team in the conference to lose more turnovers (26) than they gained (14). Florida's 14 forced turnovers were its fewest since the school began keeping track.
And still, despite the 13 lost fumbles, the 13 interceptions thrown by UF quarterbacks, the Gators managed to keep their string of consecutive non-losing seasons alive at 32.
One more question: How did they do it?
The best answer is a solid defense that finished No. 8 nationally in total defense (299.5 yards per game) by bending but not often breaking. The Gators had a tendency to wear down late in games, but that was often attributed to the offense's struggles to sustain time-consuming drives.
As the Gators open the 2012 on Saturday against Bowling Green, the defense offers perhaps as much hope as any unit on the team.
With a full season in Quinn's complex system that is based on schemes he coached during 10 years as an NFL assistant, the Gators' defense has potential to be dominant.
That's the goal, too.
"We want to be one of the best defenses in the country, if not the best,'' Bostic said earlier this week. "We know it's not something that is going to be given to us. We just really want to be tops in every category."
Quinn noticed a more advanced unit when Florida reported for fall camp. Practices were sharper. Players understood more. Execution was improved.
"You could sense right away there was a familiarity with what we do,'' Quinn said. "That's been one of the real advantages."
Florida returns 10 starters on defense and while defensive end/buck Ronald Powell (knee) won't be available until likely midseason, the Gators lost only two regulars from a season ago: defensive tackle Jaye Howard and defensive end William Green.
Quinn likes the talent returning and the commitment the players showed over the summer and in fall camp. He is looking for production on Saturday against the Falcons.
It's an opportunity for the defense to make a strong statement.
"I think that's an important thing for us every week in terms of our defense – setting the tone,'' Quinn said. "When we get a chance to go out and put our style on tape, that's important for me. That's your calling card as a player, what you put on tape.
"We want to start fast. It's been that way for the whole offseason. We want to be a better tackling team. We worked hard at it. We have certainly emphasized taking the ball away. We want to see improvement in that area. We talked about affecting the quarterback. Those are three areas we really set our jaw and said these are three areas we really want to improve."
Bostic anchors the unit at middle linebacker, where he will play between weak-side linebacker Jelani Jenkins and the strong-side duo of Darrin Kitchens and Neiron Ball. The Gators have depth with Michael Taylor backing up Bostic and true freshman Antonio Morrison listed on the depth chart behind Jenkins.
Up front, Lerentee McCray (buck), Dominique Easley (end), Omar Hunter (nose guard) and Sharrif Floyd (tackle) are expected to start Saturday. The depth behind the group includes true freshman Dante Fowler Jr. at buck, Leon Orr and Damien Jacobs in the middle, and Earl Okine at end. True freshman Jonathan Bullard could also see the field.
The secondary features strong safety Matt Elam, second on the team with 78 tackles a year ago, along with free safety Josh Evans. Jaylen Watkins, Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Roberson and Cody Riggs will all see playing time at corner. Valdez Showers, Jabari Gorman and Jeremy Brown are others who provide depth at defensive back.
Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson, offensive coordinator at Tennessee in Phil Fulmer's final season in 2008, said the Gators are a very talented SEC defense.
"I can certainly attest that the defenses in the conference are different, certainly on the defensive line,'' Clawson said on a conference call this week. "Florida certainly fits that bill with their guys up front. They've got some great players in Floyd and Easley and Hunter and Fowler, and they have depth and they have guys that can rush the passer and win one-on-one match-ups.
"They're physical against the run and I just think the caliber of defensive linemen in that league is really what separates the defenses apart from other conferences. This is a legitimate defensive front, they'll be one of the best in the country, and a lot of these guys are going to be playing on Sundays."
With Fowler and McCray holding down the buck spot with Powell out, the Gators hope to create more pressure on the quarterback, starting Saturday against Falcons starter Matt Schilz. He threw for more than 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns last season. Meanwhile, while the Gators finished third in the SEC in pass defense (166.8 yards) in 2011, they managed only 28 sacks, sixth in the conference.
Muschamp isn't looking for the defense to provide "a minor miracle" by helping the Gators finish with a winning record. He is looking for a dominant group that can quickly help Florida return to Atlanta.
He seemed to prod the unit toward a breakout performance during his Monday press conference.
"We have a lot of things to prove defensively based on last year's inconsistent performances,'' Muschamp said. "We need to go out and execute very well, tackle very well. That's always a concern going into a first ballgame."
