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Published Oct 24, 2019
Florida working on tightening up its run defense
Lauren Reynolds
Staff
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The Florida Gators came into the 2019 season with one of the top defenses in the country.

In the past few games, however, their run defense has not quite been up to the Gator standard.

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“I think it’s just stuff we have to clean up,” said defensive back Donovan Stiner. “Guys getting out of fits and out of gaps and stuff like that so it’s stuff we have to clean up in practice and make sure we stay consistent with throughout the game.”

Against South Carolina, Florida allowed 217 rushing yards. Before that game, they held all of their opponents to under 200.

So, what’s causing the sudden breakdowns?

A lot of it has to do with missing guys up front. Not having defensive end Jabari Zuniga and buck Jonathan Greenard against the Gamecocks can account for a lot of the missed blocks. That left it up to the secondary on a lot of plays to get on the runner, which isn’t ideal. They have to get on the ball carrier quick and not let him get past that first line of defense.

Against Georgia, the pair is expected to be back. Having them on the line will be imperative, as Georgia has one of the best running backs in the country.

Stopping D’Andre Swift has to be a top priority against the Bulldogs. This year, he’s averaging over 100 yards per game - against Kentucky, he went for 179 yards and two touchdowns. If the Gators can’t keep him from breaking out, they won’t get the win in Jacksonville.

“I think that anytime you have an elite player like that you’re going to find ways to get him the ball,” said defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. “They’ll get him the ball in the run game, obviously, but they’ll find ways to swing it and get him the ball that way in space. Their backs, in general, are really good, not only him but the guys that play behind him.”

And even with Zuniga and Greenard back, Georgia’s offensive line is good. Really good. They have the potential to bully the Gators’ d-line if they aren’t playing at their full potential.

“When you look at them they’re really talented upfront,” said Grantham. “They’re guys that push the pile.”

The Gators need to take advantage of this bye week and get back to basics.

“There are some things that we need to fit better as a team,” said Grantham. “It’s a little bit of everything.”

If they can stuff the run, that’ll leave it up to quarterback Jake Fromm to get by passing. Against Kentucky, he was held to only 35 passing yards and no touchdowns. Florida’s secondary is good enough to take care of that, so it’s going to be all about stopping Swift.

With all the guys back and hopefully getting some practice time in before the Georgia game, that has to be at the top of the to-do list for Grantham and his defense.