Tyreak Sapp on the Gators’ Defensive Line in Week 9

Entering Week 9 of the 2022 college football season, Florida ranks No. 12 in the SEC total defense and No. 13 in rush defense. Tyreak Sapp, Florida’s redshirt freshman defensive lineman, had some things to say about entering the Saturday matchup with the Bulldogs.

The Gators Struggle

The Gators have had a tough time ranking well in any statistical category entering this week. The only positive aspect has been their ability to gain turnovers. So far this season, Florida has forced 13 turnovers during make-or-break plays. Compared to last year, it is a major improvement considering the team totaled only 13 turnovers all season in 2021.

Here are Sapp’s thoughts on how the team views this opportunity going against the No. 1 team this weekend.

Sapp and the Team

Sapp mentioned the defense’s biggest problem is in the third downs. Florida ranks last in Football Bowl Subdivision on third-down conversion rate, mostly because the defense is not reaching the quarterback. Sapp emphasized the need to focus on sacking the QB, not just putting on pressure.

“I feel like we should affect,” he said. “We can affect the quarterback more; just be more precise in our rushes and understand who we’re actually up against.”

The Gators sit 22 points under Georgia, who are ranked No. 2 in the country in total offense, falling short to Tennessee. The team is expecting it to be the hardest game of the season for the defense, and Sapp said he thinks it needs to push past its mental block in order to win.

“I feel like it’s probably about 80% between the ears, about 20% physical,” he said. “It’s just us, we’ve got to see things better”

On top of that, Sapp added the defense needs to understand situations better and where it is on the field in order to use communication to its advantage.

Georgia’s quarterback, Stetson Bennett, is looking sharp this season, throwing for 2,033 yards and completing 70.7% of his throws. Sapp explained it is crucial for the team to keep him in the pocket, and put him in bad situations to get him off his game.

The Florida-Georgia game, also known as the biggest cocktail event in the nation, will kick off at 3:30 p.m. in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday.