Sweet baseball jacket that looks like it has new batteries. James’ apparel game improving along with UF D. Spoiler alert: stops streak reaches 20. USC blows first play, guards block each other. TFL on three of first four plays. Powell getting some quality film in since BC dismissal. He stops on outside rush instead of pushing past QB depth, nasty spin move for sack on third. 4 DL preventing Dexter doubles every play. Toney best play-calling so far, we “read their mail” early and often. Simulated pressure executed perfectly, JH plays perfect zone, stops hot throw dead. On Powell sack Dexter power sleds LT 7 yards right onto Rattler’s feet. Another crazy soft C3 gives up 3&17. Some luck on 3&11. JH starts coverage strong but gives up outside leverage with S in the middle. But then also makes a mad recovery to force a tiny window, which Rattler threads, but WR drops it. Boone and McC dominate the LOS to finish off perfect Q1. 4DL, Dexter 1v1 and this time decimates RG for sack on 3rd. 6 minutes left in 2Q, USC has 37 yards. Nickel blitz perfect with Shemar finishing off RB screen as soon as it gets there. Best zone play in YEARS. Trey Dean on backside blitz chases UF-killer counter down at LOS, might’ve been trouble otherwise. Fake punt. Beamer said this play has been in the book for weeks, thought it may work if UF played base D, and it did. Burney seems to see a fake early, but not the specific action, DB’s not really enthusiastic on the back end. But really it was mostly a good USC play literally weeks in the works. Big Dez Thighsman play, if only he coulda landed that stiffie to Rattler’s face there might be an ESPN Dez that shows that play on loop 24/7. Kamari textbook downhill break on in-route that dislodges ball, TD plucks it, three TO’s in four plays, 15th straight stop. Entire D sees screen immediately on 3rd down, egregious hold, Sapp from offside DE rushes passer then makes the tackle from behind on opposite sideline. Shemar finishes game off with 20th straight stop, 12 today. Almost literally nothing to pick at here. One bad C3, a couple of angles, a couple of mild beats in M2M. I always expect to see “not as good/bad as it appeared” on film but this one is almost exactly what you thought you saw in real time. Encouraging as one of the Y1 tests is do things get noticeably better late in the year? We have a solid trend developing with the D and it appears to be more than just getting two bad teams. USC didn’t leave almost anything out there, it simply wasn’t there to be had.
The 3 takeaways were an epic sequence the likes of which we haven't seen in a loooong time. Hopefully a sign of things to come. And turn them into 21!
Ha, and that is what film is for. He has to mention a LOT this week that the commentary is in pursuit of OPTIMAL outcome. Even then, there was very little. The D was simply on fire.
Beamer said he’d never seen it. If you consider he watched a LOT of VT football before even becoming a coach, that’s a mouthful. James replays Rattler with the WTH hip-hands stance after the third one and says “This is what all of South Carolina football is thinking right now.”
Really enjoy gnfp... <rant>but I'm sorry counting a drive by SC that scored a TD as a "stop" is bogus. You get 4 downs, they scored on 4th down against our base D. How is that a stop?</rant> Bottles the mind D played great regardless, glad to see the improvement.
Wow! A great analyses of the Gator Defense performance. It is awesome to see how the all of the players are picking up on the schemes and the teamwork that it takes to play great defense. The foundation is being laid to build an even better defense next year All of the Gator D player deserve a slap on the back for their hard work and dedication.
Additional notes from the podcast: We brought five rushers 8 times, they went 6/8 for 57 yards. 40% M2M. 6/11 for 60 yards. 12 pressures. 5/12 passer rating of 50. DL is now clearly cognizant to not rush past the QB drop spot, which was a problem fans saw as "overrunning" the play earlier. 19 forced TO's lead the SEC and 15th in the nation. Only got 7 points off the three this week, but still cool. Lead SEC in TO margin also. Is the recent D improvement sustainable? It is repeatable, to elevate us to an average SEC D. Which is sadly a tremendous improvement. We still have some mysteries like the wacky C3 cushions. But most of the other things that have gotten better are not flukes. One example: Ventrell is still doing traditional reads, but Shemar and Burney are now often being shot into specific gaps at the snap. That eliminates a lot of the read issues at LB from earlier in the year, although it is obviously less flexible. But the read across concept was just getting blown apart. This at least gives you a chance if you can guess right. It appears Mitchell is now being played in suspected run spots, due to his solid closing and tackling. Perkins should be getting this same treatment on passing downs, but he isn't. Yet. Personnel is more tactical now, but still have these situations that need to be addressed. The backend of zones is still bad and appears systemic. Simulated pressures are lethal right now because they are being executed properly.
