Brad White made Florida’s defense relive all 20 plays of the drive that sealed its loss to Oklahoma.
The Gators’ defensive coordinator opened Monday’s full-unit meeting with the possession to illustrate how individual mistakes accumulate. White said the defense did not lack effort or desire, but its players failed to combine their strain with the focus necessary to execute straightforward assignments and escape the field.
White also discussed his return to Kentucky, Ben Hanks III’s growth, Myles Graham’s recent play, Jayden Woods’ pass-rush development and Joseph Mbatchou’s expanding role.
Here’s everything White had to say.
What emotions come with returning to Kentucky?
I obviously have history there and many great relationships.
But, like anything in life, you have relationships from the past;
keep up with them and wish those people the best. This is still a business trip.
I’m returning with that mindset. It’s no different from any other road game. We’ll be dialed in and ready to go.
What went wrong during Oklahoma’s 20-play scoring drive?
That was the drive of the game and featured many missed opportunities. It was the first drive we watched Monday as a full defense.
The focus was what we failed to execute to get off the field. Sometimes they made a good call against the defense we were playing, and they were going to gain a few yards. But on several plays, it was us. We have to execute in those moments and not try to do too much.
It wasn’t from a lack of trying, desire, effort or strain. It was about straining with the necessary focus. If we execute what our jobs ask us to do, many of those assignments weren’t complex.
That’s where we need to grow. We have to understand formations. By that point in the game, when they enter a certain formation, you should know what play is coming and anticipate it. Every snap shouldn’t feel like a new play.
That’s part of the process and where we need to improve.
Why has Florida started the second half well during recent games?
Every team is a little different.
After the South Carolina game, we changed how I address the players at halftime, beginning with the Texas week. We’ve altered that process, and I think it has helped. We’ll continue doing it.
There’s nothing magical about it beyond being dialed in and understanding the importance of that moment. Whenever you take the field, the first drive of the second half is as important as the first drive of the game.
Why did the defense begin its film review with the 20-play drive?
We usually watch around 10 to 20 plays as a full unit because there’s limited meeting time. You want the entire defense to hear more than its individual corrections and understand how the whole defense fits together.
If you try to correct every play from an entire game during one meeting, it takes multiple hours. We don’t have that time. I usually select early drives, if not the first one or two.
That drive was so crucial that everybody needed to understand how a possession reaches 20 plays. It can be the play call, execution or the opponent making a good play. Then, everything begins stacking.
One guy says, “That was my fault on that play.” Then, another player says the same thing about the next play. Eventually, everybody raises his hand and admits he had a mistake on the drive. That’s how a possession reaches 20 plays.
That’s why we selected it.
How difficult is it to endure such a long defensive possession?
An eight-play drive is as excruciating as a 20-play drive. They’re all difficult.
I was part of a 24-play drive against Missouri in 2020 that ended without points because of a fourth-down stop. The players were so exhausted by the end that they couldn’t celebrate. You were trying to excite them because they allowed no points, but they only wanted the bench.
That’s the other piece. There’s no punter you can call upon while you’re on defense. If you want to leave the field, you have to earn your way off it. The only kicker who can enter belongs to the other team after it scores.
We understand the assignment, and we have to do better on third down. We had played solidly during the second half to that point and had opportunities.
Two plays from the drive really stand out. We can’t jump offside on third-and-6 coming out of a timeout. Before that, Joseph Mbatchou made a great play to create a loss on first down. On second down, we had an opportunity to record a sack and create third-and-17 or third-and-18, but we didn’t get the quarterback down.
Instead, they reached another third down and converted. It should have been third-and-extra-long, which would have made things interesting.
Why did Florida’s cornerbacks allow several short out routes?
It was a mixture of things. Sometimes, you would like the corners to use more tempo, but everything can’t be press-man coverage. You have to play off at times, read through the three-step drop and play with tempo.
We can play faster in certain situations and will continue building in that area. It’s easy for a casual observer to say, “Slow down and allow him to catch it.” But if the receiver runs past the corner and catches a deep ball, people ask why the defender didn’t stay on his upfield shoulder.
When a receiver releases with great pace, he stresses the corner. The defender pedals with more pace than he might want, the receiver breaks outside and the quarterback delivers on time. Sometimes, that throw is the offense’s access built into the play.
You hope the pressure affects the quarterback so he can’t see it. Sometimes, you press-bail so he doesn’t immediately think the throw is available. There are various reasons for it.
On the third down near the end, the defense checked to zone when it should have remained in man. It was a gray area, and I’ll take responsibility. I should have hard-called man coverage.
Earlier on third-and-medium, I hard-called man, and they ran mesh, which is a man-beater. You can’t chase it down before they throw underneath the pick, and they converted.
Later, we allowed the defense to check to zone if the offense condensed its formation so we could pass the routes. It entered a gray area, and the players checked to zone when we wanted to remain in man. I’ll take responsibility for that.
Could Hanks have defended the touchdown pass any better?
It was really close. Sometimes, the opponent makes a good throw and catch.
The coaching point is that he had Kofi Asare inside for body presence, so he didn’t need to play the slant so heavily in that coverage. We were trying to help him so he could defend the fade and deeper route.
Coming out of the break, if he keeps his eyes on the receiver for one more step — we always say two steps to the man — he might make the play. Ultimately, it was bang-bang. Those are the minute details you try to coach. The technique won’t always be perfect during a game, although the alignment and communication should be perfect.
There will always be coaching points within the technique.
How has Hanks handled the pressure of starting at cornerback?
He has handled it well.
Everybody needs encouragement at times, regardless of the level. Whether you’re a defensive lineman, linebacker or cornerback exposed on the outside, you need somebody to pick you up after a bad play.
I thought he did a good job handling it. He played all 20 snaps of that drive, which wears on a player as the offense moves downfield. That’s the cumulative effect of a 20-play drive and why you have to get yourself off the field.
That’s on all of us.
How has Hanks progressed throughout the season?
He continues to progress after taking some lumps early.
Like many young players, he had to learn how to grow through those experiences, gain confidence from the good plays and learn from the bad ones. He’s beginning to do that.
This is obviously a significant year of growth for him, and the offseason will be important. He still needs to become denser and stronger, particularly in the running game. That will help him set edges against larger receivers and tight ends and become firmer at the top of route stems.
He’ll have a lot of tape he can use to build confidence, but also plenty showing where he must improve.
How has Graham’s role changed recently?
He’s playing the same position and role, but he’s performing at a high level. You feel him wherever the ball goes. Myles is going to be there. We’re pleased with his play and can feel his presence. He has taken on a more vocal role, which we’ve encouraged. We’re going to continue leaning on him during the final stretch, and we need him to keep playing at a high level.
Has Graham been Florida’s defensive MVP?
Probably. I would have to review the entire season. But during the past couple of games, his production has been unequivocal.
How would you evaluate Woods’ development?
He’s probably slightly ahead of where many true sophomores would be. In his mind, and probably ours, we might have expected more pass-rush production at this point.
He has been unlucky a few times. Against Georgia, he was held on consecutive plays. One was called, and one wasn’t. Those could have become sacks that won’t appear in the statistics. He also came close to another one and forced Mateer to throw the ball away on a third down during the second half.
He’s close. The consistency of his pass-rush plan and knowing which move to use are still developing. His rush lines have improved throughout the season. Now, he has to understand what to use in each moment without pressing.
A home-run hitter who hasn’t homered recently might swing harder, but that doesn’t mean the ball will travel farther. A golfer who swings harder might only hit the ball farther left or right. A smoother swing produces more distance.
We tell him to remain true to himself, his rushes and the game plan. The production will come. Once the floodgates open, I think they’ll really open. We need one of those games like Auburn, when we thought it might begin.
He hasn’t been underwhelming or disappointing. You feel his presence in the running and passing games. He has affected quarterbacks even when the statistical production hasn’t followed.
What has allowed Mbatchou to earn more snaps?
The Georgia game fit his skill set because it featured many double-teams and big bodies. We needed a firm nose tackle inside.
He gained confidence from the number of snaps he played during that game. Against Oklahoma, he played with the most confidence I’ve seen from him and had a little swagger.
He’s beginning to recognize that he can do more than provide an interior presence. He can move, take stunt steps, affect the quarterback and pass rush.
Those steps and small confidence-builders are what the defense needs as a whole. One player gains confidence here, another does it there, and they begin trusting themselves and the teammates around them.
That’s why they’re playing more confidently as a unit. We’re nowhere near where we need to be, and the execution isn’t close to where it must become. But the effort, confidence and ability to play at a higher level have increased during the past several weeks.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Brad White says Florida defense must strain with greater focus
