As COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the college football landscape, one of the teams that saw a huge reversal in fortune was the Florida Gators – specifically the team’s defense, which went to being one of the nation’s most dominant units to one of its worst. As the season progressed and the defense did not improve, Gator fans began calling for Grantham’s firing. They’re not the first to do that – in 2013, Georgia Bulldog fans were also leading that charge.

Instead of taking a position on whether or not Grantham should stay or go at Florida, we are providing a timeline of his defenses since 2010, when he first became a defensive coordinator at the college ranks. He absolutely has a track record of a host of great defenses, but there are also some less-than-stellar marks on his record. After reviewing these facts, let us know what you think – is this season a one-off that merits another chance, or is it bad enough that Dan Mullen should fire him now?

2009: The year before Todd Grantham comes to Georgia as the defensive coordinator. Grantham is currently the defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys, and he’s part of a crew that helps Dallas improve to 2^nd in the NFL in points allowed. This year, the Bulldogs go 8-5 (including a bowl win), and the defense ranks 63^rd in scoring defense (25.9 ppg) and 39^th in total defense (339.4 ypg). The passing defense is especially weak, ranking 51^st (213.2 ypg).

2010: Grantham takes over as Georgia’s defensive coordinator. The team goes 6-7, including a 10-6 loss to UCF in the Liberty Bowl, but the defense makes big improvements. The Bulldogs leap to 36^th in scoring defense (22.1 ppg) and 23^rd in total defense (328.5 ypg). The rushing defense slips a little bit, but the passing defense ranks 16^th (180.3 ypg). The Bulldogs leap from 118^th in turnover margin to 19^th.

2011: In his second year with Georgia, the Bulldogs’ defense continues to make strides. The team finishes 10-4 and improves in scoring defense (23^rd, 20.6 ppg) and total defense (5^th, 277.2 ypg). Georgia excels on both sides of the ball, ranking 11^th against the run (101.21 ypg) and 10^th against the pass (176 ypg). The Bulldogs get to the quarterback 35 times and generate 32 turnovers.

2012: The Mark Richt-led Bulldogs see their fortunes rise even further, finishing 12-2, with a narrow loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and a convincing win over Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl. The defense gets slightly better in scoring (18^th, 19.6 ppg) but gives up 80 more yards per game (32^nd, 357.8 ypg). The culprit is the rushing defense, which falls from 11^th in the nation to 80^th, surrendering 182.14 ypg. The passing defense ranks 8^th (175.6 ypg). The numbers of sacks and turnovers are marginally below last year.

2013: The wheels fairly come off of Grantham’s defense in year four. Georgia falls to 8-5, including a loss to Nebraska in the Gator Bowl. The defense slips to 79^th in scoring (29 ppg) and 45^th in total defense (375.5 ypg). The rushing defense gets a little better (43^rd, 148.15 ypg) but the passing defense falls apart (59^th, 227.4 ypg). The Bulldogs still get decent pressure (33 sacks) but only generate 15 turnovers. Georgia fans clamor for his firing, but he leaves on his own, departing for a vacancy at Louisville. The Cardinals, with Charlie Strong at head coach, go 12-1 and rank 2^nd in scoring defense (12.2 ppg) and 1^st in total defense (251.5 ypg).

2014: Grantham joins head coach Bobby Petrino, and Louisville fans are disappointed at the 9-4 finish. Grantham’s defense is decent, but significantly worse than the previous season. In scoring, the Cardinals slip to 24^th in scoring (21.8 ppg) but are still stingy in yardage (6^th, 308.5 ypg). Grantham’s group is especially good at reaching the quarterback (41 sacks).

2015: Things continue to slip in Louisville. The Cardinals go 8-5, and Grantham’s defense drops another rung in scoring (39^th, 24.1 ppg) and yardage (18^th, 332.8 ypg). Louisville is still good at pressuring the quarterback (38 sacks).

2016: The Cardinals improve to 9-4, and the defense gets a little better in points (31^st, 23.8 ppg) and yardage (14^th, 322.2 ypg) allowed. Sacks see a big drop off from 38 to 30. At the end of the season, Grantham leaves to join Dan Mullen at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs’ defense was atrocious this year, ranking 93^rd in scoring (31.8 ppg) and 110^th in yardage allowed (459.1 ypg).

2017: Grantham’s only year at Mississippi State launches his reputation. The Bulldogs leap to 26^th in points allowed (20.9 ppg) and 10^th in yardage (306.3 ypg). The Dan Mullen-led squad finishes 9-4, including a win over Louisville in the Gator Bowl. The Bulldogs are especially stingy against the pass, ranking 12^th with 174.7 ypg. Mississippi State makes a big improvement in pressuring the quarterback, increasing its sack output from 25 to 36. His next team, Florida, ranks 69^th in scoring (27.3 ppg) and 31^st in yardage (349.3 ypg).

2018: Grantham follows Mullen to the Florida Gators, and the pairing pays immediate dividends. The Gators finish 6^th in the country at 10-3, including a Peach Bowl win over Michigan. The defense is a big part of the success, with the Gators finishing 20^th nationally at 20 ppg, though the yardage allowance is almost identical to last season (28^th, 343.3 ypg). Grantham’s history of improving quarterback pressure follows him to Florida, where the Gators improve from 23 to 37 sacks. Florida also improves from 81^st in turnovers (17) to 11^th (26).

2019: Things only get better in year two. The Gators finish 11-2 behind a defense that ranks that finishes 7^th (15.5 ppg) and 9^th (304.8 ypg) in scoring and yardage respectively. Florida is brutal against the run (102.77 ypg) and ranks 32^nd against the pass (202.1 ypg). The Gators’ pass rush ranks among its best-ever, tallying 49 sacks and ranking 5^th in the nation. They also pick up 102 tackles for loss, which ranks 11^th in the country. The 11-2 season is capped by a win over Virginia in the Orange Bowl.

2020: In a season marked nationally by the COVID-19 epidemic, the wheels come completely off of Florida’s defense. The Gators give up almost double last year’s point total (30.8 ppg), which ranks them 71^st in the nation. They fall to 83^rd in the nation with 428 ypg. Neither the pass nor the rush defense fares well; against the run, Florida ranks 72^nd (170.5 ypg), and the pass is even worse at 100^th in the nation (257.5 ypg). The Gators generate only 16 turnovers, though they do have one number that stands out – sacks, where they get 35 and rank 6^th in the nation. The defensive woes show up most prominently in Florida’s season-ending three game losing streak, including a blowout loss to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. In these three games, Gators give up a collective 144 points (48 ppg) and 1,707 yards (569 ypg). By most counts, the defensive number rank as Florida’s worst showing since World War I, when the Gators gave up 41.2 ppg.

2021: Mullen fires two of Grantham’s assistants – Ron English and Torrian Gray – both of whom coach the secondary. The Gators lose six defensive starters, plus two more seniors from the depth chart. On the plus side, Florida’s 10^th-ranked recruiting class includes seven four- and five-star defenders: three linemen, two linebackers and three defensive backs.

Copyright © Doug DeBolt 2021