Gators DC Todd Grantham, Players Want to See Complete Game From Defense

Florida's defensive struggles in 2020 have been well documented, but what are the players' and coaches' perspectives?

The No. 6 Florida Gators have two more games between now and the SEC Championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. With a victory over Tennessee on Saturday, Florida will have clinched the SEC East title for the first time since 2016, and earn a trip to Atlanta on Dec. 19.

But, how will the program overcome its biggest struggles on defense this year?

The Gators' spotty defense has been well documented. There are issues within its secondary, and far too often the team will allow egregious explosive plays. But, the primary concern, and perhaps the root of the issues, has been the team's inability to get off to a fast start, something that will need to be improved in order to have a shot against Alabama in Atlanta.

“I would really like to see us play a consistent game all the way through. Cause if you go back through it they’re really good times and all (a) sudden they’ll an explosive play," Grantham said when asked what he'd like to see from the defense to finish out the season. "That’s a credit to the team we’re playing because the teams we’re playing have players, they’re well-coached and they have guys that can make plays."

"But as we move forward, there’s opportunities for us to make plays out there. For example, in the second half there we had three picks in that game, opportunities."

Florida's game against Kentucky last week may have been the best example of the situations Grantham is referring to. In the second half against the Wildcats, Florida played perhaps its best half of defense they've played all season. The team forced six-straight three-and-outs at one point during the contest.

The first half, however, wasn't as pretty. The team simply couldn't get off the field, allowing Kentucky to control the football for over 22 minutes. While the team really surrendered just two good drives against Kentucky, one due to an offensive turnover, the struggles were more of the same, what Florida has shown on tape throughout the season.

The slow starts have become a reoccurring trend, one that players and Grantham haven't been able to give solid reasoning for.

This season has been unprecedented. There are no crowds, the atmosphere isn't the same as a typical game, especially within the SEC. The defense has had plenty of time to adapt, but perhaps there is something to it given the slow starts many SEC teams have had on defense this season. 

Even if that could be part of the problem, Gators linebacker James Houston IV feels the team still can't make any excuses.

“That could have something to do with it, I never really thought about that. But that definitely could have something to do with it," Houston said on Monday when asked if the lack of crowd noise might have an impact on the slow starts the team has had.

"I know The Swamp, when we go out there, it’s rocking, it’s going while we’re out there. And I know Tennessee as well, about two years ago going out there, coming out it was crazy, it was the loudest stadium I’ve probably ever been in, but after about a couple drives they’d quieted it down pretty well. But we knew what we was coming into this season, COVID season, so we’ve got to make our own juice."

Gators cornerback Kaiir Elam, one of the leaders on Florida's defense this season feels the leaders in the locker room need to do a better job of getting the team fired up, ready to go.

"Honestly, I think it starts from within. Every day of practice, just really coming out and executing on all cylinders from start to finish in practice. And hopefully, that will translate to the game," Elam said on Tuesday.

"I feel like as leaders, we need to do a better job of getting our teammates — if we see any slack or any lack of effort, or any communication to lock guys in and make sure we focus. Because I feel like we’re super talented, we’re very talented, enough to go win a national championship or an SEC Championship, but now we need to start playing like it from first to last quarter."

The Gators will continue to assess the issues on its defense and hope there's still time to fix it prior to heading up to Atlanta. Their next challenge will come Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against the Tennessee Volunteers.