NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
A York, Ala., native, Florida football defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong grew up with a deep appreciation of the competitiveness of SEC football.
The 31-year-old Armstrong learned it first-hand as a first-year defensive coordinator with the Florida Gators in 2023.
There were growing pains, as UF’s defense went from allowing an average of 13.5 points through its first four games to 34.6 points in the final eight games of the 2023 season. In eight SEC games, Armstrong’s defense at UF allowed 30 or more points six times.
Marshall plan: Florida football CB Jason Marshall Jr. on why he came back, importance of Miami game
Freshman LB sidelined: Why will Myles Graham miss the rest of Florida’s spring practice?
“When you’re young and you’re successful, you’re boy wonder,” Armstrong said. “When you’re not you’re boy blunder. That’s just part of it.”
Austin Armstrong’s plan to build Florida football defense
Armstrong will look to build off his experiences in his second season leading the UF defense. The Gators return five starters from a defense that ranked 11th in the SEC in yards allowed (382.3 yards per game) and 11th in scoring defense (27.6 ppg allowed).
“We had to coach them better – that’s my responsibility – and put them in position to be successful,” Armstrong said. “At the end of the day, we can make all the excuses about having a young team and such, and that’s true … it’s a results-driven business and we had an opportunity in all those games to be successful.”
Florida senior cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., one of UF’s five returning starters, said Armstrong maintained a sense of togetherness on defense throughout the 2023 season.
“We did have a lot of ups and downs, but he’s one guy that stays collective,” Marshall said. “He told us ‘stay collective’, no matter the ups or downs.”
New voices for…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-football-defense-step-forward-080739143.html
Author : The Gainesville Sun
Publish date : 2024-03-26 08:07:39
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
