GAINESVILLE — The Florida Gators' defense had never been better than last Saturday night, but the good feelings were fleeting.
Hours after throttling North Texas, safety Marcus Maye and his teammates relived a day when UF's defense rarely had been worse.
"Sunday morning hit," Maye said. "We all woke up and watched."
The Gators watched a defense last season against Tennessee they did not recognize. Florida over-pursued, lost gap control and missed more than 30 tackles against the Vols.
Florida entered the day the SEC's leading run defense, but was gashed for 254 yards — 136 by 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback Joshua Dobbs and 102 by 6-foot-4, 240-pound tailback Jalen Hurd.