A safety leads the Gators in tackles. In linebacker leads them in sacks.
This isn’t a typical defense with a middle linebacker racking up 10-plus tackles in a game and a speed rusher at defensive end sacking the quarterback several times per contest.
No. 4 Florida does not have a player ranked among the top 25 in tackles in the Southeastern Conference.
Yet the Gators are ranked 12th nationally in total defense.
“The best player on our defense is our defense,” defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said.
“Everybody’s making plays when you need to,” Bostic said. “Don’t try to jump out and make plays because, yeah, sometimes it works, but other times it may kill you. We said that from the start of camp: ‘You’ve got to let the plays come to you.’”
A lack of discipline and depth proved problematic for the Gators last season.
UF allowed 201 rushing yards per game in October against Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia.
Now, the Gators are deeper up front. Coaches have cut Omar Hunter’s playing time by about 30 snaps per game.
“That says a lot about our depth and being able to play a lot more guys,” coach Will Muschamp said. “Some guys’ stats are a little skewed probably because they’re not playing as many snaps as they did a year ago, especially in the front seven.”
Christy getting job done: Kyle Christy didn’t expect to go to Florida.
First, LSU needed to take notice.
After the Tigers offered the Brownsburg, In., punter a scholarship early in June of 2010, Christy’s recruitment started to pick up.
Impressive performances at college camps led Christy to a UF offer. He committed to Florida on June 28, 2010, and enrolled early the next spring.
“I’ve given my high school coach so much credit for getting a scholarship because he’s the one who made me start punting in the first place,” Christy said.
Christy played for Brett Comer at Brownsburg (Ind.) High.
The sophomore, who punts with a size-11 soccer cleat, has made the most of his opportunity at Florida. While he didn’t wrestle the starting punter job from rising senior David Lerner to begin last season, Christy became the starter by Florida’s sixth game.
He hasn’t looked back.
Nine of Christy’s punts have been spotted inside the 20-yard line this season, and he pinned the Tigers inside their own 10-yard line three times on Saturday. UF allows an average of 2.89 yards per return, which ranks 17th in the country.
“There’s no really secret to it,” Vanderbilt coach James Franklin said. “They’ve got a good punter, he gets good hang time, and they’ve got a bunch of really good athletes on the field covering.”
Linebacker working his way back: Jelani Jenkins has been unlucky in 2012.
After missing UF’s games against Tennessee and Kentucky with a fractured right thumb he suffered against Texas A&M on Sept. 8, the junior weakside linebacker started against LSU.
But a hamstring injury ended his day early and put his status in question for Saturday’s matchup against Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.
Muschamp said on Monday that Jenkins would probably play against the Commodores.
“We’re pushing Jelani as hard as he can to get him ready to play,” Quinn said. “We certainly need him to, so we’re kind of taking it day by day.”
Junior cornerback Cody Riggs is improving since fracturing his right foot one month ago, but remains out for Saturday.
Contact Adam Pincus at apincus@alligator.org.
Senior safety Josh Evans (9) and redshirt senior linebacker Lerentee McCray (34) celebrate after making a stop during Florida's 14-6 win against LSU on Oct. 6.
