Alabama defensive back Landon CollinsAs overwhelming as Alabama was offensively during Saturday’s 42-21 whipping of Florida, was the Crimson Tide defense not equally as stout?
Alabama’s 42 points were reflective of an attack that shredded the Gators for 645 yards, the most ever allowed by Florida. Yet the 21 points yielded by the Tide were more about Alabama’s four offensive turnovers than a defense that held the Gators to 107 rushing yards and 93 passing yards.
“The performance on defense was really good,” Alabama junior safety Landon Collins said. “We had communication going on all over the field. We stayed in tune with each other, and we had great composure.”
Of the 55 plays run by the Gators under new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, only one gained more than 18 yards against Kirby Smart’s defense. That was the 28-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Driskel to Valdez Showers less than four minutes into the game that produced a 7-7 tie.
Florida’s first score capped a 31-yard drive that was set up by Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III recovering a Kenyan Drake fumble.