One of the biggest questions for Gator fans heading into the 2025 season was whether Florida’s defense would continue to improve and build off their performance at the end of last season after multiple departures and coaching changes. It wasn’t the best test on Saturday, but the Gators put together their most dominant defensive performance under Billy Napier, recording the program’s first shutout victory since 2021.
In the win, we saw the Gators play exactly how they needed to perform against FCS opponents. Florida’s defense was nearly perfect, recording two turnovers, zero penalties, and seven tackles for loss with only 87 total yards (38 rushing yards) allowed the entire game. Given the Sharks have a run heavy offense, it’s no surprise we didn’t see any sacks on Saturday night.
“I feel like as a whole defense we came together and really just all looked at each other and it was like, ‘what do we want to be remembered [for]? What do we actually want fans to think, and what we want to think about each other?’ And when we came out there, we wanted to be the best defense in the country,” junior safety Bryce Thornton said on what changed after the Texas loss last season. “So, that’s the biggest thing for us. We all believe in each other and got each other’s back.”
For players like Tyreak Sapp, Caleb Banks and others who returned for one more season, it was important that the Gators picked up right where they left off in 2024.
“It meant a lot to the guys who came back from last season, bringing all the new people up, I just feel like we all had that one focus on defense. Each play, just that one-play mentality. Don’t think ahead. Everybody just do one play, just do your job and everything is going to work out right,” Thornton said.
After recording two interceptions to complete the win over Ole Miss last season, Bryce Thornton carried that momentum into 2025. Thornton opened the season recording two fumble recoveries, including one that was returned for a touchdown.
“It was amazing you know being out there with the fans, the team, coach preaching you know, turnovers, so it was just the perfect play,” Thornton said.
For Florida’s defense, continuing to create turnovers has been a top priority all offseason and that was evident on Saturday.
“It’s going to be important for us,” Thornton said on creating turnovers. “We preach the turnovers. Our goal is to get the ball back to the offense. That’s the main goal and coach just preaches running to the ball, good things happen when you run to the ball they say.”
After a promising freshman season, sophomore linebacker Myles Graham was arguably Florida’s best player on defense against the Sharks, leading the Gators in tackles with six total and one TFL. Graham also recorded a team-high 79.5 tackle grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
“Myles did a great job, you know, becoming one of the big defensive vocal leaders on the team,” Thornton said. “I’m just glad he’s been stepping up and on Saturday doing a very good job being vocal.”
Everything that fans have seen from Graham over the past couple months is a product of his hard work on and off the field. The Gator legacy truly brings out the best in his teammates.
“I feel like really it came from himself,” Thornton said on Graham. “I feel like if he had took on the role just to be like a main linebacker and say, like, ‘this is my team.’ He wanted to be more vocal and just lead us the right way.”
Now sitting at No. 13 in the latest AP poll rankings, the Gators will prepare for a bigger test in dual-threat QB Byrum Brown and the USF Bulls inside the Swamp at 4:15 PM E.T. this Saturday.