It's a bit hard to know exactly what to make of this Florida defense.

On paper, the Gators' numbers aren’t particularly impressive. They rank 65th nationally in yards per play allowed (5.56), 74th in scoring defense (25.5 points per game allowed) 87th nationally in rushing yards per game allowed (161.4) and 107th in passing yards per game allowed (244.7).

And yet, the results of late have been undeniable: The Gators have allowed 33 total points in their last two games, a pair of ranked wins over LSU and Ole Miss.

It would appear they enter Saturday's road game at FSU (7 p.m. on ESPN2) in good form.

"You see the confidence that they're playing with. Obviously they've been doing it for these last few weeks at a really high level," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said of UF's defense. "We know we're going to get their best effort and obviously it's going to take everything we have to go and be aggressive in our attack and obviously to control the things that we can control."

Florida's success of late on defense has come on a few fronts. For one, it has done a good job all season long of creating takeaways. While FSU has five forced turnovers all season — and only three in 10 games against FBS opponents — Florida's defense has forced 17 turnovers, including at least one in 10 of the team's 11 games. UF has created three takeaways in three of its last five games, bringing its total over that five-game span to 11 forced turnovers.

"I think as you sit there and go through it, you've got to capitalize on opportunities. They've done a good job with that. If the ball is out on the ground, you see them swarming to it," Norvell said. "Obviously, they've done a good job in the secondary and then obviously the linebacker position has been able to disrupt the ball. That was a big part of last week's game (vs. Ole Miss). They created a couple takeaways and if you're able to do that, you're adding more possessions for the offense."

Additionally, Florida's defense has been excellent in the clutch situations of late. LSU had 390 yards of offense vs. UF, but was held to a field goal. Ole Miss made three red-zone trips in last week's game and came away with no points. Florida's defense ranks 11th nationally with a red-zone scoring percentage allowed of 74.3%.

Florida's defensive line has also made a larger impact the last two weeks against two potent offense. After the Gators had 20 sacks and 48 tackles for loss in their first nine games, they have exploded with 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss over their last two games.

That could prove to be a challenge for an FSU offensive line which has struggled to consistently block well enough this season with a rotating cast of starters.

The Gators have been guilty of allowing chunk plays. Their 66 plays of 20+ yards allowed ranks 127th nationally and is second-most among all Power Four teams. Their per-play rushing and passing numbers allowed aren't particularly strong.

Even still, the defense's recent form and opportunistic tendencies will certainly present a challenge for an FSU offense looking to build off of a breakthrough performance it badly needed against an FCS opponent to send the program into the offseason with a bit more optimism.

Black Friday deals at Alumni Hall, Got Spears

Osceola new subscriber discounts (use code RIVALS24 for one year, 75% off)

Follow The Osceola on Facebook

Follow The Osceola on Twitter

Subscribe to the Osceola's YouTube channel

Subscribe to the Osceola's podcasts on Apple