Gators tone changing on defense
The Florida Gators' 2020 scoring defense allowed 30.8 points per game — the program’s worst since 1917. The run defense allowed 4.6 yards per carry, the most since 1971. That's a year before Dan Mullen was even born. The Gators allowed 28 touchdown passes, more than any team Florida has fielded since World War II.
You get it, and if you're reading this you probably lived through it while yelling at Todd Grantham through the television.
Sitting at the podium following a 55-20 drubbing at the hands of Oklahoma, which ended the 2020 season on a three-game losing streak that saw the Gators' defense allow 144 points over those three games, the Gators' defensive players each fielded a question.
They were told about the fans' frustrations with Grantham, something they were all too aware of just from opening up Twitter, and asked what they thought of the coach.
"Coach Grantham comes out here every day, just like we come out here every day," linebacker Amari Burney said. "He can only do his part. We're the ones that's on the field, and we've just got to take care of what we can take care of."
Mohamoud Diabate agreed and took up a stance in defense of his defensive coordinator.
"If I don't make a play out there, I can't blame Coach Grantham because I was on the field. I know Coach Grantham cares because I left something at the facility on game week. I came back at 2:00 a.m., and Coach Grantham's car is still there. Nobody's car is there," Diabate implored. "I'm not going to listen to somebody say he doesn't care. No. Coach Grantham has had a long, successful career. He's respected in this league. He's respected in the NFL. We respect him. In these two years with him, he's taught me a lot about the game, and I know Bogle can say the same thing. We were both in his room. That's how I feel about it. Players got to make plays, period."
Just seven games late that tone has changed. Florida's offense has been better in 2021. Whether it feels that way or not, the numbers show that Florida's
When asked why Florida didn't make adjustments to better stop LSU's rushing attack — the Tigers came into the game averaging 83.3 yards-per-game and rushed for 321 against Florida — Diabate had this to say.
“I mean we made the adjustments we were given to make.”
The next question posed was how confident Diabate was in the defensive scheme right now.
“I’m confident in my teammates and my teammates' ability to play hard and be where they’re supposed to be. I’m confident in my teammates.”
To get a better understanding of the comments you need to understand Daiabte. He's a 3.9 GPA student who is thinking about applying to be a Rhodes Scholar. He's devout in his religion and, won't lie but he also will speak out when he believes he needs to. This press conference (linked below) wasn't an emotional 20-something blowing off steam. Diabate was deliberate in how he answered tough questions.
When asked to expound on the two questions above he did little to defend the defensive staff.
It seemed like they were hitting with a smilier scheme, kind of counter run," Diabate acknowledging the 14 counter run plays LSU ran. "We had whoever we had in the box so we had to play it how we played it.”
Was there anything else, off the top of your head, that could have been done differently to counter what LSU was doing?
“Honestly I don’t know. That’s not my decision to make. I don’t look into those things. I’m like a soldier. When the general tells me where to shoot I shoot," he said. "I don’t really ask too many questions. That’s y’all’s job.”
In a mere seven games, Diabate has gone from staunchly defending Todd Grantham and the defensive staff to this. It begs to question if the defensive staff has lost their side of the locker room?