UF defense now a strength

<p>Part of Florida's chemistry problem last season could be traced to the defense and one simple fact. It was tough to trust and tough to lean on in difficult situations.</p><p> That apparently is changing.</p><p> For the second game in a row the defense carried the offense, this time in the Gators' 26-3 victory over Miami in The Swamp.</p><p> When the offense stumbled and bumbled through most of the first three quarters, the defense held the lead and kept giving the ball back to the offense. Eventually, the offense came to life late in the third quarter and the Gators made the plays to put the game away.</p><p> In a similar situation a year ago, there might have panic. On Saturday night, there was patience.</p><p> "It was great knowing if we have to punt, that it's OK, that we don't have to force anything," Quarterback Tim Tebow said. "The defense is going to come through and get the ball back for us."</p><p> Heading into the season, the popular belief was that Florida might have one of its all-time great offenses in 2008, and that if the defense showed even the slightest improvement from a year ago, the Gators would be tough to beat.</p><p> It hasn't been anything close to that in the first two games. The offense has been sporadic, while the defense has been sturdy and sound, a team strength.</p><p> In Saturday night's victory, the defense shut down UM's running game, harassed first-time starting quarterback Robert Marve and covered the 'Canes' receivers. Miami gained only 140 total yards and averaged just 2.3 yards a play.</p><p> "They're playing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder," UF coach Urban Meyer said of the defense.</p><p> Heading into this week's open date, the defense is no longer the big concern. The offense is. The Gators sputtered through much of the opening-day win over Hawaii and followed up with another inconsistent performance through most of the first three quarters against Miami.</p><p> The Hurricanes played aggressively up front, blitzed their linebackers and caused all kind of problems for Tebow and UF's spread offense. Perhaps the most obvious problem was the Gators' inability to match up with UM on the line of scrimmage.</p><p> Even though the Gators found success on the outside and in the quick passing game in the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes now have given UF's opponents a game plan to go by the rest of the season.</p><p> "We are out of sync on offense," Meyer said. "(The Hurricanes) were sending the linebackers downhill and knocking back our offensive line.</p><p> "The minute we started working the perimeter, we started moving the ball. We should have done that earlier."</p><p> One of those successful plays on the perimeter was wide receiver Percy Harvin's 2-yard touchdown run around left end early in the fourth quarter that gave the Gators a 16-3 lead.</p><p> Other than that critical run, Harvin was not a major factor in the offense in his return from heel surgery.</p><p> Harvin carried the ball only five times for 27 yards and caught just one pass for 12 yards.</p><p> Harvin's heel seemed fine after the game, and the coaches will try to get him more involved in the offense for the Tennessee game in two weeks.</p><p> "We can do much more with him, and we will," Meyer said.</p><p> The offense also could get a boost from the possible return of starting left guard Jim Tartt, who missed the first two games with an injured shoulder, the same one he's had surgery on twice.</p><p> Tartt is a big part of the chemistry on the offensive line. And right now, chemistry seems to be missing on the offense.</p>