Why Tennessee Will Stop Its Nine-Year Losing Streak to Florida

Tennessee is going to beat Florida on Saturday.

Finally.

The last time that actually happened—not just boasted about by optimistic Volunteers fans—was in 2004. That season, UT kicker James Wilhoit booted a 50-yard field goal to beat UF 30-28 in Neyland Stadium after missing an extra point.

To put into perspective how long it's been, that was three years before the first iPhone hit the shelves. Facebook had been online for seven months. George W. Bush had not yet been re-elected for his second term as President. Ron Zook and Phillip Fulmer still roamed the sidelines.

It was a long time ago.

But all of that suffering for UT is about to end. Head coach Butch Jones' group of fresh-faced Vols are battle-tested, playing well, and after road games against Oklahoma and Georgia, are on the brink of pulling off something significant.

Even though the Gators aren't the powerhouse they traditionally are, this would definitely qualify.

Everything appears aligned for the Vols to end the streak. The Vols just have to go out and make it happen.

Here are the top reasons why they will.

The Vols Are Ready to Win Now

USA TODAY Sports

This is the best chance for UT to get a win over a marquee program this season.

The Vols may be young, having played 22 true freshmen already, but they are talented and certainly not timid. They expect to win and are no longer shackled by shock when they're actually in a game with the chance to win late.

Now, they've just got to learn to close the deal.

UT's renewed swagger was evident in a Georgia game where the Vols got ahead 10-0, fell behind and then fought back once quarterback Justin Worley returned from an injured elbow.

Just the way the Vols handled themselves on the field said so much about how far the program has come, such as freshman running back Jalen Hurd daring a Georgia defensive back to blitz in his direction.

"

GIF of #Vols Fr RB Jalen Hurd telling a Georgia blitzer to bring come get some: http://t.co/97JiOhOLXo

— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) September 30, 2014"

They surged back into the game but made a pivotal mistake when Hurd's fourth-quarter fumble was recovered by Georgia defensive lineman Josh Dawson for a touchdown.

After that, UT simply ran out of time.

Moral victories stink, but the Vols' performance made a lasting impression on Georgia coach Mark Richt.

That word "time" is becoming an ugly one in Knoxville, especially for an impatient coach and a fanbase frustrated by close losses. But it's still true.

Jones told the media against on Monday, according to Knoxville's WVLT:

"We're going to be a good football program and we're going to win a lot of games around here. The only variable is time, but we're going to do it right and we're making progress. Now we have to make progress this week versus an extremely talented football team."

The time may not be right for UT to completely turn around its fortunes, but Saturday will be the start.

One of the advantages to being extremely young is that the historical hangover from continually losing to the Gators no longer exists. Florida has lost its psychological edge.

UT matches up very well against a struggling UF offense devoid of a superstar. While the Gators have playmakers on defense, the Vols already have faced two comparable front sevens in Georgia and Oklahoma and improved dramatically.

Despite the UT-UF game not getting a favorable television slot and taking a back seat to several higher-profile SEC games this weekend, this rivalry is still a huge deal to the Vols.

Only one game will matter inside Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

It's the biggest game of Tennessee's season and the biggest game of Jones' tenure so far, and UT is going to be ready—ready to win.

This Isn't Your Father's Florida

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Back in 1990s and early 2000s, the cocky Gators routinely took to the newspapers to provide bulletin board material that fueled the rivalry.

Then, they went out and backed it up.

When struggling UF quarterback Jeff Driskel reportedly talked of "emptying the stadium" at Florida's press conference this week, according to Gainesville's 850 WRUF reporter Jeremy Rogers, it didn't ring the same way as the smack talk of old.

It felt kind of forced.

"

The 102,455 in Neyland should make it even louder Saturday after hearing Jeff Driskel say: "Florida Prides itself on emptying stadiums."

— Patrick MacCoon (@PatrickMacCoon) September 29, 2014"

Florida may have prided itself on that once, but the stadium the Gators have been emptying most recently is their own.

Coach Will Muschamp's team is 10th in the league in total offense. Take away a season-opening 65-0 slaughter of Eastern Michigan, and they're even more average. The Gators amassed just 200 total yards in a loss to Alabama and needed overtime to beat Kentucky in Gainesville.

UF had five combined turnovers in those two games.

While new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper's first season is going better than Brent Pease's last year, there are still numerous issues.

Star receiver Demarcus Robertson re-tweeted a tweet that was in favor of switching quarterbacks from Driskel, according to Alligator Army's Andy Hutchins.

While dual-threat freshman backup quarterback Treon Harris may eventually get the call, Roper backs his incumbent for now, according to a tweet from Inside The Gators reporter Landon Watnick:

UF may get things back on track this week, but it's been another rocky start to the season. The last time Driskel played in Neyland Stadium, he finished with a career day, so he will try to resurrect his career in a place that has been good to him before.

But neither of these teams is remotely close to the one it was in 2012, either.

Driskel's words were about as close to trash talk as it has gotten between the two teams this week. Despite the quiet, UT linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said you don't have to look too hard to know who the Vols are playing.

Worley Emerging as a Star

John Bazemore/Associated Press

The importance of senior quarterback Worley to the Vols is now undeniable following last Saturday's heroic performance against Georgia.

Last year, Jones was searching for a spark when he made the poor decision to start Nathan Peterman in Worley's stead at Tennessee. What followed was one of the worst halves of football you'll ever see from a quarterback.

This year, UT hopes Peterman doesn't see the field unless it's mop-up duty.

Worley is the unequivocal leader of Tennessee, and the Vols' success is directly tied to his health. In the face of almost constant pressure, Worley has still thrived, completing 60 percent of his passes for 985 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

While several league quarterbacks have put up better numbers than Worley, nobody is a bigger catalyst for his team. He received a "game ball" from 247Sports' JC Shurburtt (subscription required) for his gutsy performance in the loss to Georgia.

That loss was frustrating, but it proved that Worley and the Vols could hang with high-scoring teams and score quickly if necessary. It marked another step forward for a program to go into a hostile environment as a 19-point underdog and take a top-15 team to the brink.

The next step for this young team is finishing a big victory, something that is attainable and even expected this weekend.

Then nine years of frustration can be put in the history books along with Florida's recent reign over the Vols.

Year	Place	Score
2005	Gainesville	16-7
2006	Knoxville	21-20
2007	Gainesville	59-20
2008	Knoxville	30-6
2009	Gainesville	23-13
2010	Knoxville	31-17
2011	Gainesville	33-23
2012	Knoxville	37-20
2013	Gainesville	31-17

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics gathered from CFBStats.com.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.