Amari Burney talks 2021 miscues

Gators linebacker Amari Burney spoke about 2021’s mistakes made as a team on defense. Notably, he did not shy away from how the team needs to improve in 2022.

Defensive Issues

Burney first mentioned 2021’s defensive miscues and how it affected the team’s success.  Significantly, he stated the Gators kept “shooting ourselves in the foot” regarding penalties on defense. Then, he went into detail about the offsides and hands to the face penalties which stopped the team from winning more games. According to the senior, the Gators had many costly penalties which hindered the success of the team.

Offensive Mistakes

After naming the team’s defensive miscues, Amari Burney discussed improvements which can be made on the offensive end. He went into specific detail about the frustration the Gators players faced when playing Kentucky last season. Specifically, the linebacker said that in the 20-13 loss, “We had like 15 penalties on offense…you can’t win games like that.” He said this multiple times and stressed that committing too many penalties will result in losses. Although Burney is a linebacker, the penalties the Gators faced as a whole was notable and detrimental to the team.

How They Can Improve

In order to improve on these mistakes, the Gators must remain focused on both offense and defense. Due to last year’s penalty issues, the success of the team was hindered. With Billy Napier, fans are hopeful for a better disciplined team.

The Gators kick-off the 2022 season Saturday against Utah at 7 p.m. in Gainesville.