It took a while, but Florida's highly touted defensive ends are starting to make their presence felt.
Through the first five games this season, Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham had combined for just three sacks, a total linebacker Brandon Spikes equaled in the LSU game alone.
They flashed little of the talent and drive that made ESPN's Scouts, Inc. rate them the Nos. 1 and 8 defensive end prospects for April's NFL Draft.
But they've recovered from the slow start, racking up four each in the last three contests.
That's the kind of production that was expected from the duo at the beginning of the season, and if it keeps up, an already stout UF defense will be even better.
"Those two guys off the edge right now are playing about as well as any pair of defensive ends in college football," defensive line coach Dan McCarney said. "They need to continue that. They haven't been doing that all year. In the last two or three weeks, I think they have been."
Following the LSU game, the Gators were 34th in the nation for sacks, but they've risen to No. 14 and are now tied for the Southeastern Conference lead with Alabama and Ole Miss at 23.
McCarney said they should have "at least six more," and he's hopeful his unit can add to that tally after regaining some depth on the interior line.
Entering the season, Lawrence Marsh and Jaye Howard were the expected starters at defensive tackle, but injuries have limited Marsh to action in just three games, and Howard has missed two of the last three.
That left Omar Hunter, Terron Sanders and Troy Epps inside, but Epps hasn't seen action in the last four games.
"A couple of games you're just holding your breath, telling them, 'Here's what you have to do, here's what we have to do to win, and don't get hurt,' McCarney said "That's a great message from your position coach, 'Don't get hurt.' It was about time for me to go into the game."
The lack of depth didn't allow McCarney to use the kind of rotation he had envisioned to keep his players fresh, and the pass rush suffered.
Justin Trattou played at both end and tackle, and after recovering from a biceps injury, he and the now-healthy Howard and Marsh should change things inside.
"Overall, they're doing a good job, but the challenge is we have to get more out of those inside guys," he said. "There's not going to be five sacks a game by the inside guys, but there has to be lots of pressure."
The increased performance from Dunlap and Cunningham has coincided with a rise in interceptions. The Gators have tallied seven of their 14 picks in the last two games, and being able to rely on the front four to get to the quarterback makes life easier for the rest of the defense.
"That helps us out tremendously," cornerback Joe Haden said. "As a matter of fact, sometimes it's not even about the coverage. Say we have OK coverage, but the pass is a little off because of the pass rush, that makes playing corner a whole lot easier."
