Florida’s defense has reached the point where nobody is pretending there’s a magic button to push.
Through six games, the Gators are allowing 29.0 points per game, a number that leaves them just a half-point better than Vanderbilt at the bottom of the SEC. In conference play, it gets even rougher: 37.0 points allowed per game, which puts them only a half-point ahead of Mississippi State for last place in the league.
That backdrop hung over defensive coordinator Brad White’s media session on Wednesday, after head coach Jon Sumrall said earlier this week that he is taking a more hands-on role in getting the defense sorted out. Sumrall denied that he was taking over White’s job, but the message was clear enough: the situation needs help.
White, asked about the repeated issues in the passing game, said there is no fast solution because the problems are spread across too many areas.
"This isn't going to be a microwave thing," White said. "Everyone has a little bit different piece (of blame), right?
Like there's a play where it's maybe an individual in a one on one scenario, whether it's coming out of a break, or I don't hit my landmark on a drop. Another one is a communication deal."
White pushed back on the idea that this is an accountability issue. His point was simpler and harsher: too many little errors are piling up and turning into big ones.
"There's too many, you know, I raised my hand, 'Yep, that one was my fault. Oh, that was my fault.' If you, if you add those up over the course of the game, it's gonna cost you."
He said he doesn’t have a single cure-all to offer, but he does believe the issues can be cleaned up if Florida plays sharper and communicates better.
"I wish I had a great answer to say this is gonna be the fix and it's gonna be beautiful. We've, we've gotta play cleaner, we've gotta communicate cleaner.
We've got to, play technically cleaner. We've got to pass rush with our lanes and our hands," White said.
The problems showed up again in last week’s 38-19 loss to South Carolina. The Gators committed three turnovers, and while White did not bring them up, the defense wasn’t spotless either. Florida lost despite the total yardage barely tilting South Carolina’s way, 393 to 387.
"Everything has to be cleaner. Everything has to be more dialed in. We're just a little off, you know, and off in this league gets you beat."
Now comes another difficult test. Florida heads to Austin to face No. 7 Texas on Saturday at Noon, with a chance to show whether those small fixes can actually start adding up.
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