Florida defense prepares for two-headed UGA offense
While both Florida and Georgia enter Saturday’s matchup with lingering uncertainty under center, UF’s quarterback controversy has dominated discourse around the historic rivalry.
But Dan Mullen doesn’t understand why.
“Have they (Georgia) named a starting quarterback?” Mullen said. “That’s their No. 1 deal, right? Who their starter is. Much bigger than ours. They’re the No. 1 team. So, I’m shocked how anybody’s even looking at our situation.”
Georgia’s quarterback “situation” emerged after Week 3 when JT Daniels, the unquestioned pre-season starter, suffered an injury to his lat muscle before UGA’s game against Vanderbilt. Walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett assumed the Lou Gehrig archetype in his place for the second time, throwing for nearly 250 yards and a 250+ passer rating in his last two games against Auburn and Kentucky and wedging himself into the quarterback conversation with Daniels’ return this week.
Bennett is considered a slight favorite for the starting role, with Kirby Smart saying that Daniels “showed rust” in increased reps during this week’s practice.
Either way, Georgia possesses two of the most effective quarterbacks in the county paired with a historically dominant running game — an especially concerning combination for a Florida defense fresh off of a 49-point gashing at LSU.
“They (Georgia) have two quarterbacks that manage the game very, very well,” Mullen said. “And by that, get them into the right run checks, make plays and then are able to distribute the ball down the field to playmakers really well.”
Florida enjoyed a bye-week last Saturday after its 49-42 loss to LSU, which the UF coaching staff has used to take a wide-sweeping look at the defense’s scheme, positioning and tackling so far this season, according to defensive back Trey Dean.
Dean also noted that Florida’s defense has prepared for both quarterbacks and harbors great respect for Georgia’s athleticism and talent.
"Well, you know, we definitely gon' prepare for both (quarterbacks),” Dean said. You know, they're a good team, physical. They’re not the No. 1 team in the country for no reason.”
Florida linebacker and former Bulldog Brenton Cox also introduced a more personal scouting report, including a year of second-team reps against the elusive Stetson Bennett.
“I remember going against him (Bennett) on scout team,” Cox said. “I just couldn’t catch him. As long as we keep him in the pocket we should be good."
The Gators held Stetson Bennett completely in check during Florida’s 44-28 victory last season, as he completed just 6 of 15 passing attempts for 78 yards before being benched for D’Wan Mathis.
However, Trey Dean and the Florida defense have noted Bennett’s development and maturity this season, adding that he’s grown into the Georgia scheme and will be a much more formidable adversary this time around.
"I feel like he's (Bennett) more comfortable,” Dean said. "Very poised, he's gonna make the right decisions, he's not really gonna force a lot of things, you know, he's a great player. Once you get into a scheme your second year you're always more comfortable.”
Despite this daunting and, to this point, unflinching opposition, Florida’s defense feels like it has an opportunity to prove its critics wrong following a choppy 4-3 start to the season.
“I think on Saturday we have a chance to show that to the viewers outside of this football team,” Dean said about Florida’s standing as an elite team. “So, we've just got to go out there and execute and play to the style that we know we can play, do the things we need to do to go out there and get a win."
Stay tuned to Gators Territory.