Reese, Jefferson spark Gators’ defensive surge
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Florida Gators made a statement Saturday night with their 47-21 win at Tennessee. Here are the top three things we learned from the victory:
■ 1. The return of David Reese and CeCe Jefferson makes a big difference on defense.
Fittingly, Reese made the Gators’ first tackle of the night. It was his first of the season and one of a team-leading 11 on the night.
Jefferson had a safety and energized a defensive front two weeks removed from a beatdown by Kentucky’s run game.
Reese, who sat out the season’s first three games, and Jefferson, who missed the first two games because of academics, have been missed.
A UF run defense gashed for 303 yards by Kentucky limited the Vols’ run game — one of the deepest positions on a rebuilding team — to 2.9 yards a carry.
Tennessee’s offensive line was overrun by the Gators’ defensive front. West Virginia graduate transfer Adam Shuler, who played at Longwood’s Lyman High, was a force and fin-
ished with eight tackles.
Shuler and Reese combined on one of them, stopping the Vols on third-and-1 from the UF 14. Tennessee settled for a field goal, trailing 14-3.
“He’s got a toughness to him,” UF coach Dan Mullen said of Shuler. “He’s got a edge, a nastiness to him. And that stuff is contagious, you know? And that’s what I want.”
Shuler’s recent play has been a revelation. The impact of Reese and Jefferson is no surprise to their teammates.
“He stepped up for us big time,” cornerback C.J. Henderson said of Reese. “That’s a big factor on our defense. He makes a lot of tackles and he has been saying that he was going to handle business.”
Of Jefferson, Shuler said, “He brings a lot of energy, brings a lot of communication. It’s just all coming together.”
■ 2. No one has been a bigger surprise than Freddie Swain. A season after Swain found the end zone just once, the junior caught a touchdown pass for the third consecutive game.
Swain’s 65-yard touchdown catch against Tennessee showcased the junior’s smarts and his speed. While quarterback Feleipe Franks bought time with his feet, Swain found space in the defense and got open. Once Franks delivered the ball, Swain did the rest, making a nice move along the sideline and outracing Tennessee’s defense to the end zone.
Swain displayed similar explosiveness on last week’s 85-yard punt return against Colorado State and now has a teamleading four touchdowns. He entered the year with three during two seasons at UF.
Swain completely transformed his body during the offseason, going from 183 to 207 pounds while losing 10 percent body fat. Even so, the Ocala native would not have been high on most people’s list when discussing the team’s playmakers.
Franks, though, is not surprised to see the impact
of his workout partner.
“He’s a hard-working guy,” Franks said. “I think it’s just showing.” ■ 3. Mullen’s teams are finding new ways to win.
Mullen was hired to fix the offense. While his attack is inconsistent and remains a work in progress, the Gators are creating scoring chances in other ways.
Last week against CSU, special teams carried the day. At Tennessee, the Gators capitalized on turnovers.
After forcing six of them against the Vols, the Gators have 14 takeaways this season and a turnover margin of plus-10. Last season UF had 17 takeaways all season and a minus-3 turnover margin.
The Gators scored 24 points off turnovers against the Vols to raise their season total to 43 points. Last season UF had 44 points off turnovers.
The Gators had four fumble recoveries Saturday night. UF managed three all of last season.