The best Offense is a great Defense
The relationship of good defense to BCS NC championship teams has been the source of previous Saurian Sagacity posts, including one discussing the 13.5 PPG average of UF's 2008 defense.
That statistic, while exceptional, understates our defensive success.
In 2008, UF's scored 611 points and the offense was credited with an average of 43.6 PPG. I say "credited" because football fans typically look at the PPG, assume the offense generated the points and make inferences about the quality of the offense. For the 2008 Gators, this is a misleading statistic unfairly crediting the offense with defensive point production.
I have categorized the point production by UF's defense into 3 categories: direct scores, turnovers inside the ten and other red zone turnovers.
Category 1: Points scored directly by the defense:
1. Major Wright's 34 yard interception return against Hawaii.
2. Ahmad Black's 30 yard interception return against Hawaii.
3. The safety against UM.
4. Brandon Spikes 52 yard interception return against LSU.
5. Ahmad Black's 40 yard interception return against Kentucky.
6. Brandon Spike's 12 yard interception return against South Carolina.
Total of 37 points, bringing the Offensive PPG down to 41 PPG.
Category 2: Points resulting from turnovers inside the 10:
1. Joe Haden's 88 yard interception return to the UGA 1 followed by a TD.
2. Terron Sanders' 20 yard return of K. Moreno's fumble to the UGA 10 followed by a TD.
3. James Smith's 4 yard fumble return to the South Carolina 1 followed by a TD.
Total of 21 points, bringing the Offensive PPG down to 39.5.
Category 3: Points from other red zone turnovers:
1. Hardesty fumble caused by Janoris Jenkins, recoverd by Ryan Stamper at Tennessee 23-FG.
2. Brandon James recovery of a Michael Smith fumble recovered at the Arkansas 16-TD.
3. Ahmad Black's 64 yard interception return to the UGA 25-TD.
4. Ahmad Black's 7 yard interception return to the South Carolina 26-TD.
5. Brandon Spikes' 26 yard interception return to f$u 20-TD.
Total of 31 points, bringing the Offensive PPG down to 37.2
The total defensive point yield, over the 14 game 2008 season, was 6.4 PPG, or 14.6% of UF's total point production.
Damn good defense.
Mentioned in Austin Murphy's book 
3 comments:
James Smith against SC was special teams, no? Either way it is impressive the offense only needs about 8 points to win a game
Yep. Busted. I considered that, but a punt is sort of a hybrid play. It's primarily defensive oriented until the punt is away.
I suppose I could throw in another statistic for special teams points, convert Smith turnover and add B. James 2 PR TDs.
It would add an independent category and knock down offensive production another point to 36.2.
Subtract the punts blocked against UK from offensive output as well.
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