GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s historically porous defense can be traced to having three coordinators in as many years, the team’s top two pass rushers transferring and bringing together so many new faces that communication, cohesion and consistency seem more like pipedreams than principles.
Nowadays, “D” pretty much stands for downfall in Gainesville. After all, failing to fix that side of the ball has been embattled coach Billy Napier’s biggest blunder.
“It’s one thing to know; it’s another thing to apply,” said Napier, who is 14-16 in three seasons at Florida and inherited a subpar defense from his predecessor, Dan Mullen. “You have to go execute in the moment. You have to go apply what you learned. There is a combination of things here from a responsibility, accountability standpoint.”
The Gators (3-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) showed signs of growth in back-to-back wins against Mississippi State and UCF. But a much stiffer challenge awaits in Knoxville against No. 8 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1).
The Volunteers are averaging 729 yards and 70 points at home this season, having walloped Chattanooga and Kent State. And they’re sure to be looking for a bounceback effort after losing at Arkansas.
“I hope it’s not a track meet,” Napier quipped.
Florida struggled to slow down Miami and Texas A&M, falling behind 38-10 against the Hurricanes and 33-7 against the Aggies. Miami racked up 529 yards; A&M finished with 488.
Napier went back to the drawing board after the second lopsided loss and took an active role in helping scout teams provide better looks for starters. He got even more involved during the team’s bye week, turning every element of practice into a competition designed to keep players and coaches on edge.
Florida responded with its best defensive effort, holding UCF to 273 yards and sacking KJ Jefferson five times in a 24-13 win.
“I feel like there were times where we weren’t clicking as a unit,” linebacker R.J. Moten said. “When we do click as a unit, it’s like, ‘Oh, wow. Oh, wow.’ I feel like we’ve been preparing, and we’re headed in the right direction. I feel like we’re up for the challenge.”
Florida has won 17 of the last 19 meetings with Tennessee, and Napier could use a victory against a top-10 team as he tries to save his job. The Volunteers are 15 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM, and the line reflects the mismatch that could be Tennessee’s offense versus Florida’s defense.
The Vols rank fourth in the nation in scoring and fifth in yards. The Gators are 96th in yards allowed, 74th in scoring defense and 101st in rushing defense. Those numbers are even worse when looking solely at Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and removing a 45-7 victory against lower-division Samford.
Florida is surrendering 395 yards a game in 2024 — the most in school history and 25 more than it did against an all-SEC schedule in 2020.
Napier has dealt with significant staff turnover, beginning with defensive coordinator Patrick Toney bailing after one season. Napier hired 29-year-old Austin Armstrong to fill Toney’s spot in 2023, but then decided to bring in veteran Ron Roberts while essentially demoting Armstrong this year. The only defensive assistant Napier hasn’t replaced is outside linebackers coach and former Florida and NFL standout Mike Peterson.
The Gators have endured even more roster movement, losing talented edge rushers Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss) and Antwaun Powell-Ryland (Virginia Tech) as well as more than a dozen others who are playing — and contributing — elsewhere.
Napier, meanwhile, repeatedly has whiffed on defenders in the transfer portal. Defensive tackles Cam Jackson and Joey Slackman, safety Asa Turner and defensive back DJ Douglas are notable misses.
Throw in what seems like little, if any, progress from second-year players T.J. Searcy, Kamran James, Dijon Johnson, Kelby Collins and Ja’Keem Jackson, and the Gators have holes across their defense — ones that might get exposed against Tennessee.
“The hardest part for me is I know how good we can be,” edge rusher Jack Pyburn said. “I’ve seen it day in and day out. We have elite players on defense, but we just have to play as one.
“We are really now starting to take those right steps in the right direction to play as one and believe in one another. We just have to trust and believe in one another.”
