How Ron Roberts Engineered Florida’s Disruptive Pressure Scheme
The Florida Gators leaned heavily on creepers and simulated pressures in 2024, and you could argue it was their most effective tool on defense. Under Ron Roberts, UF’s unit steadily improved as the season progressed, proving once again that his ability to build and adjust a defense is still elite. In this article, we’ll break down how Roberts consistently generated pressure while only sending four rushers, and why it gave offenses so many problems.
One of the biggest advantages of bringing four and dropping seven is the flexibility on the back end. Florida primarily lived in Cover 3, but Roberts wasn’t afraid to mix in Quarters, Tampa 2, and even NTTs (Non-Traditional Tampa) coverage variations to keep offenses guessing.
Additionally, I’d like to give a hug shoutout to Ty Gower and Cody Alexander for helping me identify some of these creepers and simulated pressures. Without him this article would’ve been a lot tougher to write!
*Keep in mind that Coach Roberts has likely updated his terminology, so as always take what we talk about and build it into your own terminology.
Bledsoe
We start with corner pressure. When only bringing four, a corner blitz creates a natural one-on-one matchup, either against the running back in protection or against an offensive tackle. In theory, both favor the defense, as a DB in space has the advantage in quickness and change of direction.
In this example, the corner wins his matchup against the back but gets a little too aggressive after his inside move, preventing him from bending back to the quarterback. However, the pressure still accomplishes its goal, flushing the QB from the pocket. The end result? A four-man rush that forces a sack.
Favre
This field/Nickel pressure became Florida’s go-to call over the final seven games of the season. The Gators would send the field overhang (Nickel), drop the boundary defensive end, and typically play Cover 3 behind it.
In this variation, Florida runs “Farve” out of a Boss front, pairing it with an interior stunt from the defensive tackles. The Nickel forces the quarterback to climb the pocket, where the stunting DTs are waiting to collapse on him.
These are two variations of the same pressure, with the rusher adjusting based on formation. When Florida gets a Trips look, the Nickel passes off the pressure responsibility to the Mike.
Against Florida State, you see this in action when the running back motions to Trips, triggering the Mike as the rusher. In the LSU example, the adjustment happens against a static Trips set. In both cases, UF gets exactly what they want, a free rusher with the Mike or a matchup against a running back, which heavily favors the defense.
Manning (Tampa)
Double A-gap pressure is a staple in most playbooks, and the Gators are no exception. What makes their version unique is how they pair it with Tampa 2 coverage, adding an extra layer of disguise and coverage integrity.
One detail that stands out here is the interior “pick” by the linebackers. I always tell players, just because you’re setting the pick doesn’t mean you won’t make the play. That’s exactly what happens here. The linebacker initiating the pick gets lost in the shuffle of the offensive line, then does a great job getting vertical after contact. The result? He pops free and secures the sack.