Tennessee Volunteers vs. Florida Gators Complete Game Preview
The last time these two teams met was last year in Neyland Stadium, when the Tennessee Volunteers blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead to lose 10-9 to the Florida Gators.
It was a frustrating game for the Vols eerily similar to this year's Oklahoma game, where conservative play-calling and crucial mistakes proved to be their downfall.
Meanwhile, the Gators rode backup quarterback Treon Harris and a strong defense to win for the 10th consecutive time.
Now, as the series shifts back to the Swamp, it looks like the game could be a mirror image of last season's. The Gators have a new coach in Jim McElwain, but there are lingering issues.
The Vols struggled on offense throughout the second half against the Sooners, and though they righted the ship a bit against Western Carolina, several drives stalled in that game, too. The Gators feasted on a couple of cupcakes to open the season before sputtering their way to a 14-9 win over Kentucky to open SEC play.
Both teams' defenses look to be in midseason form. Florida's has been strong from the outset of the season. The Vols have been dealt their injury blows, but after inserting some youngsters, things are looking up on that side of the ball.
It may be a low-scoring, hard-hitting rivalry, and the winner may be Georgia's biggest challenge in the SEC East. Let's take a look at everything you need to know about the game.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Place: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium; Gainesville, Fla.
TV: CBS
Radio: Vol Network, Gator IMG Sports Network
Spread: Gators by 3 according to OddsShark.com
Tennessee Keys to Victory
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Remove the monkey
If the psychological aspect of finishing a big game against a quality opponent and getting a win is a real burden the Vols feel (and it is), imagine how much it's magnified against the Gators.
The past few years, Florida hasn't been much—if any—better than the Vols. But that hasn't mattered on the field.
At the sight of those blue-and-orange jerseys, UT turns to mush. But all that has got to change.
This is still Florida, and it's still a huge game and a big rivalry. It isn't the same old powerhouse, though, and the Swamp isn't the same house of horrors it has been in the past.
Or, as Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi so eloquently put it after the Gators made it 29 straight wins over UK: "Florida’s program certainly isn’t what it once was, but the last vestige of Gator dominance still lives; the one remaining crumb is still there on the plate of a program that once gorged itself on greatness."
The column goes on to talk about the mental edge UF has over a Kentucky program that simply gets spooked at the sight of the Gators. Sound familiar?
Coach Butch Jones can talk all week about the past being the past. The players can, too. But until they go out and do something about it, every media hack in the country is going to talk about the streak.
Until UT ends it.
Beat the heat
Conversely, Tennessee's offensive line is still one of the biggest question marks on the Vols team, and it's essential that offensive coordinator Mike DeBord draws up some plays to keep the Gators honest.
With Vernon Hargreaves III and Jalen Tabor, they're one of the few teams that are talented enough at cornerback to stack the box and hang with UT's talented receivers. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs must hit some vertical plays to back the Gators off a bit.
Also, you combat huge pressure with screens and draws, and neither were in UT's arsenal during a sluggish second half against the Sooners when nothing was working offensively.
You beat press coverage with quick hits and slants when you can't throw over their heads, and Dobbs hasn't proven he can do that yet.
It's time for the offensive play-calling to take it up a notch, and it's also time for all that talent on the perimeter to start earning their playing time by making big-time plays. It doesn't get any bigger than the Florida game.
Man on the run
Sometimes, teams need to learn hard lessons. Last year's gut-wrenching loss to the Gators should have taught coach Butch Jones at least one thing heading into this year's matchup:
It never hurts to have athleticism at quarterback.
Justin Worley was statuesque a season ago, and coming off a game in which he was battered by Georgia defenders, the then-senior was skittish passing the ball throughout the UF game. He took hit after hit and made a couple of crucial mistakes.
Dobbs has the ability to move away from that pressure, though he quizzically hasn't run much this season. Sure, the Vols want to keep him healthy, but it's subtracting a dynamic from Dobbs' game to not get him on the edge and freelance.
He isn't at his best in the pocket, and that's where he's stayed the majority of the time.
With the Gators wanting to stem and stunt and swarm him, it's vital that Dobbs gets to the perimeter and that DeBord calls his number on designed runs. Make Florida spy him with a defender to ease some pressure off Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara.
Dobbs is a weapon. Let him be one.
Florida Keys to Victory
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Grow up front
At one point during a 14-9 slobberknocker against Kentucky, the Gators had three freshmen playing along the offensive front.
One of those, of course, is former 5-star Martez Ivey, who was the nation's top-ranked lineman according to 247Sports, but it's still not an ideal situation for any team, especially one in the SEC.
That was evident in the numbers as well as the bruises that still stung on the day after by some of the offensive players who were pummeled by Wildcats defenders. Will Grier finished with 12 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown, but the top running back was Kelvin Taylor with just 46 rushing yards.
By the time the game rolls around, you'll hear the old stat about the winner of this series usually rides with the team that rushes for the most yards. The Gators always win that battle, and that's why they've won 10 straight.
Though Florida's run defense is stellar, that battle favors the Vols' star running backs. UF has to run it better to win this game, and that falls at the feet of a youthful offensive line. They need to grow up a bit to win this game.
Greasy Grier
The Florida redshirt freshman quarterback is far from immobile, as he proved against Kentucky.
After a clunky opener, Tennessee has done a good job pressuring opposing quarterbacks, but Oklahoma signal-caller Baker Mayfield appeared to be greased with Castrol the way the Vols simply couldn't bring him down. He broke roughly a million tackles in extending plays that wound up beating UT.
Grier has those same abilities, and if he keeps plays alive, it will go a long way in helping a Gators offensive seeking playmakers. UF coach Jim McElwain told GatorBait.net's Thomas Goldkamp after the Kentucky win:
"I thought he did some decent things. He's got a lot of growing up to do. He did some good things with his feet. It got us some plays, might have got us in trouble as well, instead of sitting in there and letting the play develop. Left some awful big plays on the field. With that being said, he for the most part did a decent job taking care of the football aside from the throw in the red zone. I thought Will learned from it.
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He was beaten and battered in the game against UK and never really got going. He's talented enough to do some serious damage if he has time to scour the field. Derek Barnett, LaTroy Lewis and Co. have to make sure that doesn't happen.
Three-and-stout
Tennessee's entire philosophy is predicated on playing fast, faster and fastest.
All of that is fine and good until the three-and-outs start piling up. Then, all the injuries the Vols have already suffered this season on defense start exposing ugly warts. It happened against Oklahoma, and it can happen in this game, too.
The Gators defense is extremely good. They've got fast linebackers and perhaps the best secondary in the country. While they're young up front, they've got talented linemen capable of getting after Dobbs, too.
Vernon Hargreaves III and company are capable of snagging a couple of Dobbs' passes and flipping the field, but if Tennessee can't sustain drives and push over the goal line for touchdowns, the Vols could get into the same scenario they faced against the Sooners.
It's essential UT tries to control this game on the ground and take its shots downfield. Florida has to seize control on defense, and it's perfectly capable of doing so. This is a team that has allowed a little over 55 rushing yards per game, and that's the name of UT's offense.
If the Gators shut down the run, they shut down the Vols. Tennessee has to win first downs to win games. If the Gators keep UT behind the chains, it will be a big night for Florida in the Swamp.
Tennessee Players to Watch
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Preston Williams
The talk of all of preseason camp was true freshman receiver Jauan Jennings.
Now, it's time for the season talk to be about his classmate.
UT's former top receiving prospect is blossoming as the team's biggest deep threat following a touchdown catch and another fly pattern grab against Western Carolina. He finished with a breakout game, catching three balls for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
"You guys saw it tonight. He comes in, he makes plays when the ball’s thrown in the air," UT quarterback Joshua Dobbs told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan.
The 6'4", 209-pound pass-catcher essentially had no training camp after rehabbing a knee injury and having to retake the ACT after the NCAA flagged his score. Still, here he is, already starring by Week 3.
Tennessee needs him to keep progressing and be the downfield threat the team needs. He could come up huge in this game.
Todd Kelly Jr.
There's no denying who Tennessee's two biggest defensive playmakers have been so far this year.
One, of course, is budding household name Jalen Reeves-Maybin. But the other may be a bit of a surprise.
It's sophomore safety Todd Kelly Jr., who has gone from a strong freshman campaign to starring a season later. When he missed the first 40 minutes of the Bowling Green game, UT's defense was lost. He returned, and they found their groove.
Then, he went out against Oklahoma and snagged two interceptions.
Florida is the kind of game where he can make his name. Some of his father's best games came against the Gators when he was a defensive end at UT. This is his turn.
Joshua Dobbs
When you get the keys to a Lexus, a great responsibility follows.
That's perhaps the best way to describe the position Dobbs is currently in as the unequivocal leader and quarterback of a Vols offense filled with potential breakout players.
For all them to burst out, Dobbs has to. This is yet another opportunity.
He struggled to make plays against Oklahoma, failing to take advantage of yet another opportunity to lead UT to a huge win.
Florida isn't ranked, but that doesn't change the magnitude of this game. Dobbs has the arm and the feet to change this game in the Vols' favor. He has to stay calm, deliver strikes and not fear tucking and running rather than forcing or panicking. The time has come for him to win a big game.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Florida Players to Watch
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Kelvin Taylor
The 5'10", 205-pound junior running back hasn't done anything overly flashy this year, averaging 51 rushing yards per game.
But he has the ability to take over the game on the ground with good blocking.
So far this season, what Taylor is known most for is being at the receiving end of a legendary sideline tirade by new coach Jim McElwain, who told him to "…be a man."
"I don't feel good about it," McElwain told the Gainesville Sun's Robbie Andreu. "As you know, this is a very public job. This is a public thing that we do. I understand that I have a long ways to go and I make mistakes. … Am I proud of it? Absolutely not. Do I feel bad about it? Yes. At the same time, I've got to understand my mistakes as well and learn from it and go forward."
Both the coach and the player need to move forward. That can't be what defines Taylor, the son of Gators and NFL great Fred Taylor.
If Taylor is having a good game against the Vols, that means the Gators offensive line is having a good game. That probably means Florida is winning.
Grier may be the key to UF securing a big SEC East victory, but Taylor is a guy who can control the game. The Vols need to focus on bottling him up.
Vernon Hargreaves III
Arguably the two best cornerbacks in the SEC will be on display at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium when VHIII and Cameron Sutton line up for the Gators and the Vols, respectively.
The Gators junior cornerback will be close to healthy, and he's special to watch when he is. Pretty much only Amari Cooper has made him look average in his spectacular career.
It goes without saying that the Vols need to be aware of where VHIII is on the field at all times and avoid him as much as possible. He can bait the best of quarterbacks, and he has the athletic ability to make a house call when he intercepts a pass.
In a game where points may be at a premium, the Vols should treat him as if there's a "No Trespassing" sign hanging around his neck.
Jonathan Bullard
VHIII and Jalen Tabor get a lot of the headlines for their ability to shut down a game in the Florida secondary. The Gators also have a pair of talented linebackers in Jarrad Davis and Antonio Morrison.
But the defensive line has been an unheralded and underrated surprise for a stellar defense.
The leader of that group is Bullard, who helped dominate Kentucky in a 14-9 win. He had two sacks (three for the season so far) and Alex McAlister did as well as UF brought Patrick Towles down six times in the win.
That should be a terrifying statistic for a UT offensive line that has struggled with the pass rush.
"They're big, athletic guys, disruptive guys," Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said, according to the Gainesville Sun's Pat Dooley. "I watched some tape on them and I saw some spots where I saw all four guys win one-on-ones and that caught my attention early in the week."
With VHIII manning the back end, the Gators can pin their ears back and be aggressive. That's not good news for the Vols.
What They're Saying
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Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist John Adams on the frustration of the Florida series and the state of UT's program entering a rivalry game the Vols haven't won in 10 years:
"Until Tennessee blew a 17-0 lead against Oklahoma eight days ago, the 2014 Florida defeat was the most painful of the Jones era. The Vols should have won that game. And they should win the next one. But there are 10 good reasons to believe they won’t, even though first-year coach Jim McElwain has just begun cleaning up the mess Muschamp left behind, and Jones’ rebuilding has been going on for more than two years.
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McElwain was in a lot better mood than he's been through the first couple of games of the season after the Gators' win over Kentucky, but he told Scott Carter of Gatorzone.com of one major glaring issue that remains: the offensive line.
"The one thing we have not been able to do is control the line of scrimmage up front," McElwain said. "We've got to get some snap in our heads and start knocking people off the ball."
Tennessee coach Butch Jones told the Tennessean's Matt Slovin following the Western Carolina game that the mindset for the Vols is different than any other season since he's been in Knoxville:
"It's much different," he said. "We expect to win."
Prediction
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For so many years, Tennessee fans have entered the annual game against Florida hanging their hats on certain aspects of the game that should give the Vols an advantage.
Every season, they exit that game with their team having one more loss in the record books and a little more ammo for their angst.
The Gators keep jerking the ball away at the last moment just when the Vols, playing the role of Charlie Brown, finally believe they're going to kick it this time.
This year, they'll finally kick it.
They'll exorcise the reptilian demon. They'll end the 10-year drought. They'll close out a big win that will give them a little bit of early-season momentum on a rocky conference road ahead.
Florida has a ton of defensive talent, and they look really strong on that side of the ball. But the Vols have a talented defense, too.
If UF's defense and Tennessee's defense are both the strong suits, it has to fall back to which offense will make more plays. Tennessee's offensive skill-position players are more talented, more experienced and have more ability to make big plays.
Have they proved they can yet? No, and that's a major concern. That doesn't mean they won't.
It's a really big game, and Tennessee has had this one circled since last year when Butch Jones said blowing that lead was the "lowest moment" of his career.
This one may just wind up being the highest of his career so far.
Prediction: Vols 23, Gators 13
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
