Florida Gators-Tennessee Volunteers:Two Sports, Two Coaches, One Rivalry

Many rivalries have come and gone, but one rivalry that has intensified in recent years is Tennessee vs. Florida. And not just in one sport. 

The Florida Gators have held the Tennessee football team down for quite a while. The series, played yearly, has been decidedly in the Gators favor since 1994.

Under three coaches during that span Florida has defeated Tennessee 11 of 15 times.

Steve Spurrier owned Philip Fulmer even during the Peyton Manning years, as Manning never defeated the Gators.

The Vols did, however, break through against the ‘visored-one’ twice in that span; both times landing the Vols squarely into national title contention.

Then came Ron Zook, who went 1-2 against the Big Orange during his short tenure from ’02-’04.

Since 2005, when Urban Meyer took over the Florida program, the Vols have not defeated the Gators.

And if you really want to get technical about it; only one game since that ’05 season has even been close; the 2006, 21-20 defeat at Neyland Stadium. In ’05, ’07, and ’08 Florida has outscored the Vols 105-33.

Florida has won two national titles since ‘05 and Tennessee has yet to figure Meyer out.

Also in 2005, the Volunteers basketball program welcomed its shooting star coach.

Bruce Pearl came on the scene and turned around a downward spiraling program.

The Tennessee basketball Vols had a slight resurgence in the early 2000’s under Jerry Green, but when he left so did the talent. The Vols were reeling under Buzz Petersen when Pearl took Wisc.-Milwaukee to the Sweet 16.

A month later he began his tenure at Tennessee.

Pearl coached his first Tennessee-Florida game in Knoxville. The Gators came in undefeated and No. 1 in the nation. Tennessee quickly sent them back to Gainesville with their first loss of the season.

Exactly one month later Tennessee went into Gainesville and defeated the highly touted and ridiculously talented Gators yet again.

A month later the Florida Gators won the national title.

In 2006, Florida was well on the way to its second consecutive national championship, when the No. 1-Gators welcomed UT to their home floor and sent the Vols out of there reeling from a 16-point loss.

That would be Pearl's only loss to Florida. Three weeks after that dismantling Tennessee defeated the Gators by 10 in Knoxville.

Last season, Pearl’s third at UT, the Vols swept the Gators.

After Sunday’s triumph in Gainesville, Bruce Pearl and the Vols got the season sweep and moved to 7-1 against Billy Donavan’s Florida regime. In those eight games the Vols have outscored the twice national champs 671-624.

The argument could be made that what Pearl has done to the basketball Gators is more impressive that what Meyer has done to the football Vols.

Two of the four seasons that Meyer’s Gators handled to Vols, the Big Orange was under .500.

Two of the four seasons that Pearl’s Vols have handled the Gators, the Reptiles won national titles.

While the Basketball Vols have not had nearly as much national success as the Football Gators, or for that matter the Basketball Gators, the comparison between Pearl and Meyer cannot be overlooked; at least in their respective rivalries.

Unfortunately for Vols fans, the comparisons have to stop when it comes to national success.

The basketball Vols have made the Sweet 16 twice in Pearl’s three-plus seasons. And the football Gators have won two national titles in Meyer’s first four years.

Two coaches, and one rivalry that's not likely to end anytime soon.