Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Gators Stock Report: Run Defense Up, 3rd and Grantham Down and More
The Gators lost another close one to division rival Georgia this weekend, but there were still a few positives to take away from the Gators' play.
Florida will need a miracle to get back in the hunt to win the SEC East, but it is still a possibility. Georgia seemed to set the pace early and often, Florida’s offense was stagnant, and the defense couldn’t get off the field. These factors paired with a few bad calls put the Gators behind and they could not get back into it after some missed assignments led to big plays.
Stock Up
Run Defense: My number one concern going into Saturday was the run defense, as Georgia had an offensive line dedicated to pounding the rock.
Florida held up very well, as they held one of the best backs in the nation in D’Andre Swift to only 84 yards on 25 carries. This is leaps and bounds better than the run defense was just two weeks ago when the Gators allowed 175 yards to South Carolina’s Tavien Feaster. Florida controlled gaps about as well as you can against an elite Georgia offensive line, and this is a positive moving into the Vanderbilt game as the Gators will face Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
Vanderbilt will try to ride Vaughn’s coattails to victory, as he is one of the only playmakers they have in one of the statistically worst offenses in all of the NCAA.
Freddie Swain: Swain has been phenomenal all season, and he was Kyle Trask’s go-to this weekend.
Trask found Freddie Swain on eight catches for 91 yards, and a touchdown for the Gators. Swain is very consistent in the slot, as he always finds a way to get open in the middle of the field to make it easier on Trask to get him the ball.
Swain had four catches on a drive in the late third quarter to get Florida back in the game, which ultimately led to Van Jefferson’s touchdown. The senior from Ocala is one of the most reliable and trusted guys in the wide receiver room, and he comes up whenever the team needs him to deliver.
Jonathan Greenard: Grad transfer Jon Greenard was great after his return from his ankle injury and played his heart out against his home-state team. Greenard is a clear leader on the defensive side of the ball, and he racked up a team-high nine tackles and three QB pressures this past Saturday. Greenard wasn’t 100%, and that was quite clear for most of the day as the pass rush was very weak from Florida as a whole.
The Gators were without Jeremiah Moon for most of the day, but Greenard stepped up when no one else did. Even though Greenard wasn’t as effective as usual in the passing game, he made big stops in the run game when UF needed them.
Stock Down
Pass Rush: I will give defensive coordinator Todd Grantham the benefit of the doubt, but at some point, you must find a way to do what you’re best at. Grantham and the Gators defense didn’t get any sacks all day, and Georgia seemed to constantly pick up all of Grantham’s schemes when he did have something up his sleeve.
Greenard and Jabari Zuniga were not at 100%, but Grantham still failed to pressure Jake Fromm in the pocket consistently, and really at all. The lack of a pass rush matched with the zone calls was a real head-scratcher, as South Carolina beat Fromm by playing press man and getting aggressive on both the defensive line and with their defensive backs.
3rd Down Defense: Yes, Third and Grantham is real.
Florida had no answer for anything Georgia did on 3rd down, and it almost was automatic that Georgia would find a way to get a first down when they needed it the most. Florida failed to stop Georgia when it mattered the most, and the missed assignments that led to multiple scores were the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Defensive Backs: We all know the situation at safety, but Fromm picked apart all of Florida’s secondary on Saturday. The safeties were out of position at the worst possible times, and it caused multiple big plays for the Bulldogs.
Trey Dean III had one of the worst games that he’s played at Florida, as he caused multiple big plays due to his poor pursuit and bad coverage technique. I get that he is playing out of position, but you’ve got to do something about it if you’re Grantham. This has been an issue for the entire season, and something needs to change.
Play Marco Wilson at STAR, put Kaiir Elam on the boundary, and work on moving Dean back to his natural position at safety for next season. He’s just not built to be a nickel corner, and he shouldn’t be playing at that position when you have others that are more reliable and can make plays that Dean can’t.
Florida has an opportunity to still make a New Years’ Six bowl, and that will be the goal while keeping a close eye on the Bulldogs to see if they can slip up in the next few games.
Georgia still has to play No. 12 Auburn, Texas A&M, and Missouri, and if they lose two of those three and Florida wins out, the Gators will win the SEC East. It’s highly unlikely, but Florida cannot let this past Georgia game define them as a team.
We all remember Dan Mullen’s speech after Missouri last year, and the message will be the same heading into this week. Florida needs to come out and do their job against a terrible Vanderbilt team and keep it’s head up for the off chance that UGA drops those games.
