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Will the third time be the charm for UF’s defense vs. a big back?
By Andrew Olson
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At first glance, the matchup of Alabama’s ground game against Florida’s run defense appears to pit strength vs. strength. Crimson Tide RB Derrick Henry is the nation’s leading rusher with 1,797 yards on the season, and the Gators are No. 8 in the FBS in rushing yards allowed (111.3 yards per game).
A closer look at Henry calls attention to his size – he’s 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds – and the potential for similar problems the Florida defense faced trying to bring down Tennessee RB Jalen Hurd (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) and LSU RB Leonard Fournette (6-foot-1, 230 pounds). Hurd and Fournette combined for 282 yards on 59 carries against the Gators.
On the SEC Championship Game teleconference, Florida DL Jonathan Bullard was asked about the concerns posed by Henry’s size.
“That’s a big body coming toward you,” Bullard said. “I think with big backs like that, you’ve just got to wrap up and get a hat on the ball. Everybody do their part; everybody run to the ball every play. It’s going to be a good effort on our part of trying to get him down.”
Florida coach Jim McElwain knows that one player getting to Henry and getting on him isn’t enough.
“His yards after somebody jumps on his back,they’re pretty incredible,” McElwain said of the Heisman candidate.
Florida’s tackling issues were first exposed in the Tennessee game (Week 4), when the big, bruising Hurd powered his way through Florida defenders on multiple occasions. Despite some impressive runs, UT’s primary ballcarrier finished with only 102 yards on 28 carries – the kind of numbers Florida could realistically hope for Saturday in a best-case scenario.
UF’s second try at containing a big back was against Fournette in Week 7. Put simply, the Gators failed that test, allowing 180 yards on 31 carries.
Will the third time facing a big, powerful running back be the charm for the Florida defense?
“I think with the energy that’s going to be in the building, and the guys that I’ve got behind me and beside me, I’m confident in us,” Bullard said.
The only SEC defense able to slow down Henry was Arkansas, which held him to 95 yards on 27 carries (3.5 yards per attempt), but don’t expect McElwain and defensive coordinator Geoff Collins to put much stock in the Razorbacks’ game film.
“Whatever they showed one week, they’re not going to do it this week,” McElwain said. “They’re going to find a way to get him to have a huge effect on the game.”
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
