I hate to admit it, but after the tamu loss, in which the defense had no answers for the run, I had a sense of doom and foreboding about the future of the season for that team. As good as the passing game was, and statistically speaking, the best passing offense in UF history, if you can't stop a teams run game, and UF could not, well, you are not going to win championships.
Run the ball and stop the run. That's the one rule in football that if you can't do that, you're just not a very good team. I worry about us being able to stop the run this year.
Agree, in fact, I still worry about defense as well. The only good defense we have seen in 5 years, was last year starting at UT. Lets hope the defense of the second half of the season from last year continues to trend in the right direction in 25.
I have more confidence in the offense being good than the defense, based on what you just posted. A good bit of turnover. The younguns really need to step up.
Sapp, Gumbs, Banks are an impressive trio to build around. Sapp may be 1st team all SEC. A few others on the line are solid and should improve. I trust a few more will step up and get quality time as well. Linebackers are going to be nails.
Injuries and depth and a projected reliance on youth. I am excited about the D-Line unit starters, depth is decent but not great, I am real happy with the acquisition of the Baylor kid. I think the linebacker corp has a great shot to be as good a unit as we have seen in years, this alone should be a tremendous help with run stopping. But it's hard to forget 4.5 of the last 5 years and that is no indictment of who will be playing this year, rather more of my fandom "hot stove" reaction to the recent past. This UF team has people with pretty heady expectations, a lot of 9 - 10 win (must win) scenarios from You Tube Gator pod-casters, the recruiting services and so forth, many fans are proclaiming playoffs or bust. I do believe this is Napier's most talented roster by far, I don't think many doubt that. Lets hope the team stays a bit healthier than last years mash unit. But all in all I am like most, excited, and anticipate a very competitive UF squad this season.
Our best run stoppers are gone. Bridges was part of that scenario along with Cam and that dingleberry that went to lsu. Third and one, all of those guy and Dez were there. Thats four guys that were our best run stoppers.
Good info. The 2008 UF team would whip any teams ass in history except for 2019 LSU and maybe a couple of the Saban Bama teams.
I went to the only game that we didn't lose that year (1979)... and I went to all the home games in 1996.
