Florida: Adding bite

Florida football coach Urban Meyer has a two-word explanation as to why his defense is sizzling entering Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game against Alabama.

Good recruiting.

Meyer offers an equally quick response when reflecting on last season’s defensive debacles.

Lousy recruiting.

“You look at those guys that were playing last year, and true freshmen just shouldn’t be playing at places like Florida,” Meyer said. “It happens, and we happen to have one of our corners (Janoris Jenkins) who is a true freshman this year. Last year, we had a defensive lineman, Justin Trattou, who was not ready to play, and we had (defensive backs) Major Wright and Joe Haden, so we had some true freshmen that were playing football that really shouldn’t have been.

“Our first recruiting class was very poor, and during the transition process of coaching changes, there was a void in recruiting.”

Florida’s starting defense, which has allowed only one touchdown in its past six games, does not contain anybody from Ron Zook’s final signing class in 2004 and only one from Meyer’s first group, outside linebacker Ryan Stamper. The Gators have four starters from the ’06 class, five from ’07 and Jenkins from this past February.

Meyer was left scrambling defensively after winning the ’06 national title when end Jarvis Moss, linebacker Brandon Siler, cornerback Ryan Smith and safety Reggie Nelson left early for the NFL. Their departures greatly impacted last year’s team, which allowed 25.5 points a game and became the first in program history to allow 28 or more points six times.

“Last year, we had a lot of young players,” Haden said. “This year, we still have a lot of young players, but they went through this spring and this season learning the game and learning defenses and not going out there and not knowing what’s going on.”

The Gators returned eight defensive starters this season after returning just two a year ago, and the improvement has been staggering.

Florida leads the nation in turnover ratio (plus-21) and interceptions against Top 25 opponents (11). The Gators are second nationally in interceptions (23), fourth in scoring defense (12.2 points a game) and seventh in total defense (275.7 yards a game).

Opponents have managed just 41 first-half points against the Gators, or 3.4 a game.

“They are super fast and do a lot of stuff to confuse quarterbacks, trying to throw different looks at them,” Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson said. “Obviously they’ve got a lot of athletic ability and are probably going to be the best team we’re going to see.”

Heading Florida’s defense from a leadership standpoint are Stamper and junior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Spikes is likely down to his last two games with the Gators, as NFL scouts believe he is a first-round lock.

Spikes struggled at times last season, most notably in the 42-30 loss to Georgia, but not this year.

“When you get on the plane to go play an away game, some guys are playing their games or listening to music,” Meyer said. “Brandon Spikes sets up a laptop with the video from the opponent and watches it the entire time. His maturity level is off the charts.”

As dominating as Florida’s defensive run has been, it has come against a schedule with one nine-game winner (Georgia). That will change in the Georgia Dome against the 12-0 Crimson Tide.

Alabama averages 201.5 rushing yards a game behind a line led by left tackle Andre Smith and center Antoine Caldwell. The best rushing team Florida has faced so far is Ole Miss (183.4), which handed the Gators their lone loss.

Meyer has no doubt that this will be the top test his defense has faced.

“We thought LSU was very physical, but (defensive coordinator) Charlie Strong thinks this is the most physical offensive line we’ve faced in the last two years, which says a lot, because LSU’s line was very physical last year as well,” Meyer said. “We’re going to have to find a way to get an extra defender in the box like most people do defending the run, and we’re going to have to have some movement up front so they don’t just tee off on you with their size. That’s my worst fear.

“They are not really secretive about what they’re trying to do. They’re going to try to pound you and have the personnel to do it.”

The Associated Press

Florida sophomore cornerback Joe Haden, who intercepted this pass intended for A.J. Green during the 49-10 rout of Georgia, is among five defensive starters from the Gators’ 2007 signing class.

YOUTH SERVED

Florida’s starting defense, broken down by recruiting class:

2004 — None.

2005 — OLB Ryan Stamper

2006 — DE Jermaine Cunningham, DT Terron Sanders, DT Lawrence Marsh, MLB Brandon Spikes

2007 — DE Justin Trattou, OLB Brandon Hicks, CB Joe Haden, S Ahmad Black, S Major Wright

2008 — CB Janoris Jenkins

Note: Others to make starts this season are DT Brandon Antwine (’06), LB Dustin Doe (’06), DE Carlos Dunlap (’07) and LB A.J. Jones (’06)