Tackle football.
The Florida Gators played it last Saturday night against Tennessee, there just wasn’t a whole lot of that first part.
“When we pulled clips from last week’s practice,” Jim McElwain began. “Usually what happens on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday shows up on Saturday. If they choose to not want to tackle, it will show up again.”
Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs came into the game last week with one 100-yard rushing performance on his résumé. Due in large part to Florida’s inability to tackle him effectively he left with his second.
“It wasn’t us. It wasn’t us,” junior safety Keanu Neal repeated. “We want to be BDN, we want to be best in the nation and we didn’t show that.”
Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly doesn’t pose the same rushing threat that Dobbs did and the Rebels don’t have a bruising back like Jalen Hurd but they do have big, physical receivers that Florida will need to match up with this week. The Gators are a big underdog to the visiting Rebels this week and it doesn’t take much of an argument to say that Ole Miss probably has a more talented roster. That puts even more emphasis on the little things, those things that can often be overlooked in the grand scheme of a gameplan or throughout the course of a season.
“We forgot the little things,” senior linebacker Antonio Morrison said. “The basics. Tackling and stuff. We just got back to the basics today, you know wrapping up, clubbing up, running your feet and bringing your feet [to] the tackle.”
Jim McElwain and defensive coordinator Geoff Collins devoted an entire period in practice to tackling on Tuesday. McElwain has stressed details to his football team every since he took over as head football coach of the Florida Gators and they got away from it for a week.
Missed tackles almost turned into a missed opportunity on the field. The way the defense tackled last week will serve as a glaring reminder of why you can’t take anything for granted. On Monday McElwain encouraged the media to keep writing about the missed tackles, “These are prideful guys,” he said. “I want you to keep writing about it. That helps us.”
The coaching staff doesn’t need the media to hammer home that point, they made it loud and clear during practice on Tuesday and in the film room.
Glad to hear they concentrated on the tackling. If they can shore up the tackling issue they really could be the best defense in the country.
The defense has played very well this season, tackling has been the one major issue.
Tackling is all about being a disciplined football player so they need to focus on that this week.
Respectfully…Best defense in the country-is currently just a label and something to aspire to. While they are very good, knock off Ole Miss and suddenly that label really begins to mean something. It will take a great overall performance in all facets of the game to reign victorious. Based on the current incremental improvement it is certainly possible. It appears these kids are very coachable, have bought in and play as a team. That makes it possible. Probable? Probability and analysis can be skewed in our favor with heart, a desire to win and fighting to the end. And us screaming our lungs off! We just witnessed that. Here’s to the the Gators rising to the occasion. Go Gators.
I think Florida has the potential to have the best defense in the nation but I don’t think, and they would agree, that they have played to their potential or to their expectations yet this season.
I believe the coaches were putting too much emphasis on getting the ball instead of wrapping up. Yes, we have forced a bunch of turnovers but at the same time they need to remember to wrap up. Looking at the picture up top, it looks like he is going for the ball instead of the guarantee tackle. We will be fine and I have faith if the defense can keep ole miss to 21 pts. we will win this game. LETS EAT GREEDY GATORS.
I’m glad we got hit with that trick play early in the season, maybe that will teach or players to stay home and guard your zone.
This staff definitely preaches getting the football out but, as you said, that can’t be at the detriment of making the tackle.
I agree Nick
The coaches do have a part in our players ability or inability to tackle and take the runner down. The practice video showed them having problems with this. So, I guess the coaches decided to not teach them how to want to tackle. The players have a part in it and so do our coaches.
Where did you find practice video??
he borrowed a tape of our practice from the New England Patriots. they video tape everybody without their consent or knowledge!! Spygate etc.