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GAINESVILLE — A pick-six by Florida defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp was a cause for celebration during Saturday’s scrimmage in the Swamp.
The Gators hope it’s a harbinger.
Sapp caught a tipped ball caused by edge rusher Jake Pyburn and rumbled 70 yards for a score, ending the play with a flip. Fellow defenders were swept up into the moment with the popular and personable veteran.
“It was actually an RPO [run-pass option] that got tipped up into the air and then it was Christmas Day for the one Tyreak Sapp,” coach Billy Napier said Monday night. “We had an entire sideline that was celebrating.”
Florida’s defense had little to cheer in 2023, especially when it came to causing turnovers and havoc for opponents.
A season after the Gators managed just 3 interceptions — tied for the nation’s fewest — and 7 turnovers, Napier is optimistic about the side of the ball largely responsible for a 5-7 season.
“I see flashes of what I would expect,” Napier said. “We have high expectations for how we want to play defense around here. As a head coach when we’ve won games, we’ve been good on defense.”
Louisiana was 11th nationally in scoring (18.5 points per game) during Napier’s final year in 2021.
But UF struggled stopping teams while going 11-14 during Napier’s first two seasons, finishing 87th (28.8, 2022) and 78th (27.6, 2023) in scoring defense.
The 2022 Gators, under defensive coordinator Patrick Toney, 32, also allowed opponents to convert 49.71% on third down, ranking 129th nationally, and gave up more plays of 10 yards or longer than all but Arkansas among 14 SEC teams. Florida recorded 23 sacks, tied for the fewest since 2017’s four-win season.
In 2023, with defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, 30, at the helm after Toney left for the NFL, the Gators managed just 22 sacks, allowed 6.44 yards…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/uf-d-makes-strides-two-160000770.html
Author : Orlando Sentinel
Publish date : 2024-08-20 16:00:00
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