Florida’s defense had something to prove Saturday.
The unit has faced questions since the start of the season, after allowing FAU to score 21 points and gain 396 total yards in Week 1 and Campbell’s offense to start strong before finishing with 210 yards and 3 points in Week 2.
The No. 8 Gators were tested for the first time in SEC play against Auburn on the road, where they allowed 39 points and 373 yards in the 44-39 win, with the defense struggling to perform consistently.
Saturday’s challenge against Ole Miss was set to be a big one. The Rebels came into the matchup ranked No. 8 nationally in passing offense, backed by Heisman hopeful Trinidad Chambliss, who has established himself as one of the SEC’s most dangerous players.
Despite the challenge, Florida’s defense responded with one of its more complete performances of the season in the Gators’ 52-28 win.
The Gators forced three turnovers and held Ole Miss to six points in the first half. This is the first time the Rebels have scored just six points in a first half since Chambliss became a starter. The Rebels went 0-for-5 on third down before halftime, while Chambliss was kept under 100 passing yards and without a touchdown.
“That quarterback’s an unbelievable player, and so for our guys to maybe keep him off balance at times, that’s the least uncomfortable I’ve ever seen him look, and he’s kicked my butt as a head coach twice last year,” Florida coach Jon Sumrall said Saturday.
Ole Miss faced a fourth-and-1 on its opening drive after running back JT Lindsey took three consecutive carries. Linebacker Aaron Chiles read the play and stopped Lindsey in the backfield, giving Florida the ball and setting the tone early in The Swamp.
Chiles finished the game with seven tackles, three solo, along with a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Myles Graham led the Gators with eight tackles, including five solo stops.
Jayden Woods recorded a strip sack on Chambliss that Graham recovered, and safety DJ Coleman intercepted Chambliss late in the fourth quarter to end Ole Miss’ final threat.
The Rebels found some success in the second half, when Chambliss connected with Deuce Alexander for a 49-yard completion, and Ole Miss scored on three of its first four drives of the second half. Chambliss finished with 25-for-34 and 298 passing yards and one passing touchdown. Still, Florida continued to find ways to create empty possessions.
Although the Gators still gave up yards and points, they created turnovers and made plays that prevented Ole Miss from turning its offensive production into a comeback.
“Our goal as a defense is zero every week. It’s a shutout,” Woods said Saturday. “We never want the offense to score any points at all. We’re just trying to go out there, do the best we can.”
Florida travels to No. 25 Missouri Saturday to face a Tigers offense led by quarterback Austin Simmons. Defensive coordinator Brad White described Simmons as a smooth passer who can make throws across the field and has the ability to run when necessary. He also identified their offensive line as another challenge for Florida’s defensive front.
“[They’re] definitely one of the best O-lines in this conference and the best one we’ve seen this year,” White said Tuesday. “They do a great job working together and that’s a big piece of being successful in that scheme run wise.”
White noted the need to continue improving against the run while also finding ways to pressure Simmons.
The Ole Miss game showed that Florida’s defense is capable of playing at a high level against one of the SEC’s better offenses. However, their Achilles’ heal is a lack of consistency.
“What we haven’t done is played a complete game,” White said. “We’re starting better, but we’re not finishing…we need to continue putting quarters together to be the type of team we need to be and it’s consistency across all units.”
Florida has already seen what happens when the defense fails to put those pieces together against Auburn. Against Ole Miss, it showed what can happen when it does.
As the Gators enter their next test, the biggest priority is putting in the work.
“Every week, no matter the result, the coach says to put a blanket over the scoreboard and just go to work,” Woods said. “Everyday we have that mentality. We don’t worry about the past week or the week ahead of us, we just worry about the day we have.”
