(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
No. 1 Florida Gators (2-0) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (1-1)
What Happened Last Week
Florida looked every bit like the No. 1 team in the nation—after the first quarter, in a 56-6 win over Troy. The opening period wasn’t kind to the Gators, as a driving rainstorm combined with sloppy ball handling left the Gator Nation feeling a little uneasy.
The Gators would go on to score on their next four possessions, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Tennessee took all of the good feelings and optimism from their week one blowout win over Western Kentucky and completely flushed it down the toilet against UCLA. The Vols took their third consecutive loss to a Pac-10 team, despite holding the Bruins to only 186 yards of total offense and a dismal 3-of-14 on third down.
The Tennessee offense failed to capitalize late in the game, and the Bruins came away with an upset in Neyland Stadium.
Florida Will Win If…
They Win the Three and Out Battle
Three plays and get the defense off the field. That’s a pretty simple philosophy that the Gators need to mandate for Saturday. Tennessee’s offense held the ball for 14 of the last 18 minutes against UCLA and had two drives totaling 30 plays.
If Florida’s offense is parked on the sidelines that long, it will allow the Vols to control the tempo of the game and hang around longer than most people expect. Tennessee can parlay this and a solid defense into keeping the game tight heading into the fourth quarter.
Getting the Vols to go three and out gives the Gators two positives: The high-scoring Gator offense comes back on the field, and Brandon James is back to return punts.
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