Young defense prepares for first true road game

USATSI

So far this season, the saving grace to the Florida football team has been the defense. Not that it’s a feat to be proud of, but the defense has scored more touchdowns than the offense this season, three to the O’s two.

Although the Hail Mary against Tennessee takes the cake, the defense has contributed some exciting moments so far as well.

C.J. Henderson has two interceptions returned for touchdowns this season, tying him for a program record in a single season. In the victory over Tennessee, David Reese, Duke Dawson, and Henderson contributed to the Gators’ third consecutive multi-interception game.

The Gators released their depth chart for the Kentucky game this week and there’s a common theme to the players listed: many of them have “FR” or “SO” beside their name.

This greener than ever Gator defense has made their share of mistakes in the two games so far this season but still manage to rank eighth in the nation in defensive S&P efficiency.

After practice on Tuesday, two opposite ends of the defensive experience spectrum spoke to the media: redshirt freshman linebacker Jeremiah Moon and fifth-year senior safety Nick Washington.

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Jeremiah Moon

On keeping the streak against Kentucky going: “I didn’t know that. We’re focusing on not getting too high. Main thing is staying in our gaps, keeping their quarterback contained...no rush for 100 yards. We got a lot of fast guys and we know our strengths.”

The Gator defense did a great job of this against Tennessee until the fourth quarter. They limited the volunteers to only 191 yards on 55 plays. But after fatigue set in from offensive turnovers, they gave up 204 yards on 14 plays.

On finding his own stride: “I’m a little rusty; I’m getting a lot better from the first game to the second game. I felt a lot more comfortable playing here and with the game plan. I’m starting to relax more.”

Moon recorded two tackles against Tennessee and two quarterback hurries and put up similar numbers against Michigan. This Saturday will mark the most games Moon has played in a season for the Gators after suffering a season-ending injury after two games in 2016.

On fixing mistakes like the missed tackles against Tennessee: “We’ve been working on that today. I just we just gotta keep our heads up. I know we’re throwing a lot of shoulders in there. We just gotta stay contained and keep we keep letting guys come outside a lot and that makes s keep trying to dive. We’ve been ducking a lot.

Keep in mind the Gators had five defensive players picked within the first three rounds of the 2017 NFL. On top of that, they’ll reconfigure for a season without safety Marcell Harris, who tore his Achilles tendon.

On the growing process of such a young group of guys: “We’ve definitely grown closer and got to know each other a lot and I think that’s really helped us being able to trust each other. That’s a big thing because you gotta trust the man next to you. As we keep growing together I think we could be the best defense in the country.”

Nick Washington

On the streak: “I definitely feel like every game we play against Kentucky, we play close. They always have a chip on their shoulder and they know how the streak is since they’ve beaten us and they come out to break that streak.”

Kentucky’s has been on a rise in competitiveness since head coach Mark Stoops took over in 2013. He has elevated their season winning percentage from .167 in his first year to .538 in 2016.

On the emphasis made on tackling: “We had great pursuit to the ball and we had guys that made plays after broken tackles but it’s more about when you’re coming up on a guy you need to square him up, wrap up and bring him to the ground. Tackling in general is pretty tough and so is open field tackling.”

This weakness especially showed late in the game due to the defense being gassed out as well as missing Harris at safety.

On UK’s offensive threats: “He (quarterback Stephen Johnson) can extend plays; he can run the ball. They’re got some playmakers on the outside, tall receivers in the slot.

Johnson is a dual threat quarterback that has put up 569 total yards this season. He boasted his run game against South Carolina, breaking out into a 54-yard scramble for a touchdown. Tailback Benny Snell Jr. takes on much of the offensive load too, averaging about 25 carries per game and has recorded 100 yards in the last two.

Saturday’s game has already sold out on ticketmaster with anticipation of most of the crowd being Kentucky blue, not Gator. It’ll be a true testament for how this young crew fairs on an away SEC stage and how the experienced leadership guides them through adversity with hopes of making it to 31.

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