Can Florida football defense take step forward in year two under coordinator Austin Armstrong?

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A York, Ala., native, Florida football defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong grew up with a deep appreciation of the competitiveness of SEC football.

The 31-year-old Armstrong learned it first-hand as a first-year defensive coordinator with the Florida Gators in 2023.

There were growing pains, as UF’s defense went from allowing an average of 13.5 points through its first four games to 34.6 points in the final eight games of the 2023 season. In eight SEC games, Armstrong’s defense at UF allowed 30 or more points six times.

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“When you’re young and you’re successful, you’re boy wonder,” Armstrong said. “When you’re not you’re boy blunder. That’s just part of it.”

Austin Armstrong’s plan to build Florida football defense

Armstrong will look to build off his experiences in his second season leading the UF defense. The Gators return five starters from a defense that ranked 11th in the SEC in yards allowed (382.3 yards per game) and 11th in scoring defense (27.6 ppg allowed).

“We had to coach them better – that’s my responsibility – and put them in position to be successful,” Armstrong said. “At the end of the day, we can make all the excuses about having a young team and such, and that’s true … it’s a results-driven business and we had an opportunity in all those games to be successful.”

Florida senior cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., one of UF’s five returning starters, said Armstrong maintained a sense of togetherness on defense throughout the 2023 season.

“We did have a lot of ups and downs, but he’s one guy that stays collective,” Marshall said. “He told us ‘stay collective’, no matter the ups or downs.”

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-football-defense-step-forward-080739143.html

Author : The Gainesville Sun

Publish date : 2024-03-26 08:07:39

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