Soft no more

In the days leading up to Saturday’s 49-10 win over Georgia, Coach Urban Meyer never changed his tune. It was never about “The Incident” but it was always about the defense, or lack of it, in 2007. He went so far as to call his 2007 team “soft” which he says is the worst thing you can call a team.

What a difference one year can make.

While there were times Saturday when the Georgia Bulldogs looked like they could move the ball at will, it wasn’t until the game was already over that they finally punched in a score and that was against the second and third teamers on defense. Florida’s defense rose up time and time again to make crucial plays at just the right moment.

Florida’s defensive game plan was centered around stopping quarterback Matt Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno. While Stafford threw for 265 yards on the day, he threw three interceptions, and they all seemed to come at the most inopportune times. While Moreno made a couple of dazzling runs, he never could get untracked, finishing with only 67 yards and a very embarrassing fumble that led to a Florida touchdown.

This was a close game (14-3) at the half and when the Georgia defense stymied Florida’s opening drive of the second half, the Bulldogs began a drive from their own two-yard line that looked like it would swing momentum in their favor. Stafford had the Gators on their heels until he got to the Florida 30.

One play changed everything.

Stafford had been having some success throwing Joe Haden’s way through the first 38 minutes of the game but unfortunately he went to the well one time too many. Stafford had been burning Haden on slant routes, but Haden had studied the film and knew that the closer Georgia got to the goal line, the more likely it would be that Stafford would go for a post corner route.

“I studied the film,” said Haden in the media room after the game. “I knew they were going to throw the post corner so I sat on it and it paid off.”

Stafford tried to hit A.J. Green, who ran a sharp route, but Haden was all over it. He cut in front of Green at the Florida 11, picked the ball off and returned the interception 88 yards to the Florida one. In effect, it would be the play that closed the door on any chance, any thought and really any hope of a Georgia comeback. That set up a Tim Tebow keeper from a yard out that put Florida ahead 21-3 and for all practical purposes that was game, set and match.

Meyer called Haden’s play a “a game changer … I think that was the play of the game.”

However big Haden’s play might have been, it was just one of many turned in by Florida’s defense, which may have given up yards but always had the right play at the right time to keep Georgia from scoring.

Late in the first half, for example, Georgia put together a beautiful drive to the Florida six that had the Bulldog faithful standing and screaming, expecting Stafford and his mates to finish. On second down, Stafford missed a wide open Tripp Chandler, who somehow got lost behind the Florida coverage. On the next play, Stafford tried to hit Moreno in the back of the end zone but Florida safety Ahmad Black broke up the pass to force a Blair Walsh field goal attempt.  Walsh’s kick was like the rest of Georgia’s day — it hit the upright from point blank range, leaving the Georgia crowd stunned while 42,000 Gators erupted.

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A year ago, Brandon Spikes had a very poor game against Georgia. Reminded every day of what happened in Florida’s 42-30 loss in 2007, Spikes came through with the kind of game that you expect of a first team All-SEC selection.

“Now he’s playing like Brandon Spikes that I keep hearing about,” said Meyer.

Spikes made his presence known on the second play of the game when he delivered a crushing hit on Moreno.  Spikes finished the game with seven tackles, one tackle for a loss and half a sack.

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Sophomore defensive tackle Terron Sanders suffered a high ankle sprain when he was chop blocked in the 2007 game. He was looking for a little bit of redemption Saturday and he came through with a couple of tackles, one for a three-yard loss and a fumble recovery. On the fumble recovery, he scooped up the loose ball, made a pirouette to get out of an attempted tackle by Stafford and had the presence to shift the ball to his outside arm as he rumbled 20 yards to set up a Florida touchdown.

“I recovered the fumble and once I noticed that it was a live [ball] I just did whatever I could to get the most yardage that I could,” Sanders said.

Sanders felt Florida’s defensive performance was a clear indicator that the Gators are not the same team Georgia ran roughshod over in 2007.

“That was our goal, to come out and make a statement that the Gators are back,” he said.

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Coming into the game, there were some so-called experts that called Stafford the best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference. They aren’t saying that anymore, not after the Florida defense did its number.

Stafford’s stat line read three interceptions, two sacks and a number of bad decisions. As the game wore on, he was under more and more pressure by the Florida defensive line, which used its superior depth to wear down the Georgia offensive line. That put the game on Stafford’s shoulders and he wasn’t man enough to deliver.

The Gators stifled Moreno because they were willing to go eight men in the box, leaving the corners to handle the Georgia wide receivers all alone. While Stafford hit a few impressive passes, the Florida corners made play after play and Florida’s safeties pitched in with coverage, big hits and an interception by Ahmad Black.

Georgia came into the game leading the SEC in total offense and the Bulldogs actually outgained the Gators but they couldn’t win the one stat that counted which was points. Florida got in the end zone. The Gator defense kept Georgia out.

If the Gators follow that simple formula for the rest of the year, this could end up being another Year of the Gator.