Saturday night is a chance for the Gators to redeem themselves and get Urban Meyer’s program back on track. First and foremost, as Urban says in his Plan to Win, they must Play Great Defense.
This is a good, solid defense – good enough to win games for Meyer almost by itself. Urban said it played “admirably” against Alabama. But “good” and “admirable” aren’t sufficient.
Right now, what it is lacking is playmakers stepping up—somebody making a statement. They are still looking for somebody to lead aside from just Ahmad Black, who is doing an excellent job and playing hard. Sometimes he’s not getting much help.
When I say “statement,” I don’t mean words. A big play is needed Saturday. Maybe a super-big hit like Brandon Spikes laid on Knowshon Moreno to set the tone for the Georgia win. An interception like the one Ahmad made against Oklahoma in the BCS Championship game. That kind of “statement.”
I know some people will think I’m nuts, but when all was said and done in Tuscaloosa, judging how the defense played, the Gators should have won the game. Yeah, I know Alabama is No. 1, a great team, etc., but I’m talking about the sheer numbers of the defense:
Trent Richardson – 63 yards rushing.
Mark Ingram – 47 yards rushing.
Greg McElroy 84 yards passing.
Julio Jones – 4 catches for 19 yards.
They met their objectives to slow down the running backs and somewhat contain the quarterback, so I can’t say the defense was why they lost – although they all lose as a team and win as a team.
I’m OK with the 5-2, or “heavy” scheme and love the way Duke Lemmens and Justin Trattou are playing. But I thought I’d see somebody sack McElroy and maybe get a fumble, or pick him off. To his credit, the Alabama quarterback scrambled well against Florida’s man-to-man defense and in that formation the quarterback is unaccounted for. So he slipped away and picked up 39 yards (33 net) – a couple for critical first downs.
You have to acknowledge that the caliber of competition was much better, of course, but after picking off 12 passes in the first four games, the Gators got none against ‘Bama.
Still, there’s not much to “fix” on this defense. It was pretty much at the mercy of the four turnovers in three cases – the other being the “pick six” against the offense. If you factor in that, plus the two blown red zone opportunities by Florida, right there that could be a 21-point swing – enough to almost win the game if you subtract the seven points from Tide’s total and add two touchdowns to the Gators’ total.
Yeah, I know: If “if’s and buts” were “candy and nuts,” every day would be Christmas. And I am not making excuses for the defense. I just don’t think it’s broken and will give a good account of itself this week against LSU.
They’ll get a good look at two quarterbacks – Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson – and will be trying to stop another excellent running backs, Stevan Ridley. And, like you, I’m wondering – where did this guy come from? He has rushed for 557 yards already. Every year the Tigers come up with another guy who can tote the rock.
Don’t get me wrong – Les Miles and Gary Crowton have their problems, as we saw in the last two plays against Tennessee. They should have lost to Tennessee, but for the illegal substitution by the Vols, and instead they come in to The Swamp at 5-0.
That they are unbeaten is not a bad thing, because these Gators have a chance to right the ship and get things going in their favor with a win over LSU Saturday night.
I love night games in The Swamp. Everybody talks about “Death Valley,” and how hard it is to win in Tiger Stadium at night. Well, we’ve got their “Death Valley” right here. It doesn’t matter whether you bake out in the heat or drown in The Swamp, you’re still going to be dead meat. And I don’t see LSU coming out of “The Swamp” alive.
(Scot Brantley was an All-SEC linebacker for the Florida Gators and a 10-year veteran of the NFL/Tampa Bay Bucs. He does commentary for the Gator Radio Network and is the defensive analyst for GatorCountry.com)