Holy Shyt. LOL
Florida Gators co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick Toney goes in-depth about his defensive scheme and third-down philosophy.
www.on3.com
8/2/22
Toney wants to bring third-down defense back to UF
Throughout the last few years, Florida struggled with getting off the field on third down. With Toney in charge of the defense, he wants to return to the days when UF had one of the best defenses in the nation.
“Third down is so interesting. Analytics have taken over the game in college, and you’re seeing it go to the NFL as well,” Toney said.
How will Toney work to make that happen? He wants to get after the quarterback.
“Philosophically, we want to contest every route. We want to make it hard for the quarterback,” Toney said. “We want to affect the quarterback. He is, obviously, the guy with the hardest job. He has to deliver it on third down.”
With the aforementioned “creeper,” Toney is going to show pressure in a plethora of ways, especially on third down.
“So how can we contest him, make him throw in tight windows? And then with that being said, how can we affect the quarterback directly, get the ball out of his hand, hopefully not in rhythm?”
With third-down defense being such a challenge, each position group must do their job to get off the field. From the defensive line creating pressure to the linebackers obeying their responsibilities to the defensive backs locking down in coverage, it all comes together on third-down.
“We want to play close and tight to the receivers,” Toney said. “[We] don’t want to let them have free access, and then we want to affect the quarterback with our rush or pressure.”
