After losing seven starters from a year ago, the Florida defense was hungry to prove it could still be one of the nation’s dominant units in 2013.
A season-opening matchup with Mid-American foe Toledo proved to be a recipe for a quick start.
No. 10 Florida smothered Toledo’s spread offense, limiting the Rockets to 205 yards of total offense in a 24-6 victory at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
“Those guys are gone,” senior cornerback Jaylen Watkins said of the seven departures. “This is a new defense. We want to prove ourselves to people that we still have great guys here.”
In the week leading into Saturday’s game, Florida coach Will Muschamp said he expected Toledo’s up-tempo offense to attempt to run about 85 plays — a total the Rockets did not come close to reaching. Florida limited Toledo to 54 offensive plays and 3.8 yards per play. The Rockets succeeded just once in 13 third-down tries.
“The tempo, the issues they present, I was very proud of our guys,” Muschamp said. “Our guys, defensively, played well and probably tackled well for the first game, which is usually an issue.”
Each of the Rockets’ first five offensive series lasted four plays or fewer, helping the Gators take a 17-3 lead into halftime. Seven of the UF defense’s first 11 series ended in punts and another was cut short on an interception by freshman cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.
“They were a real tempo team, so all week at practice we have been getting our butts kicked with tempo,” senior defensive tackle Dominique Easley said. “So we just came prepared.”
From the start, the catalyst for Florida’s suffocating defense was Ronald Powell, who sat out the entire 2012 season with a knee injury.
On 3rd and 10 during Toledo’s opening possession, Powell set the tone by bursting through the Rockets’ offensive line and dragging down quarterback Terrance Owens for a 2-yard loss.
Florida’s defense finished the game with two sacks but was able to consistently fluster Owens, who completed 17 of 38 passes for 155 yards.
“People were saying we lost this guy, we lost that guy, we lost this,” Powell said in reference to the departed players. “Yeah, those were great pieces to the puzzle and great players, but … we feel comfortable with anybody we put out there because we have prepared that way, and we trust each other.”
Powell’s production was especially important given Florida’s lack of depth for the game. Starting linebacker Antonio Morrison was suspended following two offseason arrests. Prior to the game, UF also announced that cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy and defensive linemen Darious Cummings and Quinteze Williams were suspended due to a violation of team rules.
Despite working with limited numbers, Florida’s defense allowed just 12 first downs and two made field goals during the game.
“We can be as disruptive as we want to be,” Powell said of UF’s front seven. “If those guys out there go out and play as hard and as well as they have been coached to play, I don’t see anyone being able to block those guys.”
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