Florida’s rivalry series with Tennessee hasn’t been particularly competitive in recent years. Aside from a slipup in 2016, the Gators have won every game against the Vols dating back to 2005.
This year’s game shouldn’t present much of a challenge, either. It’s been a tough start for first-year coach Josh Heupel, who hasn’t been able to implement a successful passing offense thus far despite having coaching roots in the air raid. The Volunteers have earned chalky wins over bad teams in Bowling Green State and Tennessee Tech, but their only real challenge to this point resulted in a 44-41 loss at home to Pittsburgh two weeks ago.
Tennessee doesn’t match up very well against Florida, and its biggest strength — the run defense — now faces the toughest test yet in UF’s rushing attack (which ranks second nationally).
ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote about this game as one of his storylines to watch in Week 4, and he wants to see if the Vols can put together a game plan that makes Florida sweat. Here’s what he said.
Everyone gets seduced by Joe Milton’s arm; Jim Harbaugh did at Michigan, making Milton the season-opening starter in 2020, and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel evidently did, too. But after Milton got benched for iffy and slow decision-making (one of the reasons for his downfall at Michigan), it appears Heupel may have found his QB on the second try: Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker has looked awfully good since subbing for Milton against Pitt.
Hooker led three touchdown drives against Pitt but threw a pick on a last-ditch comeback drive. Thanks to a brief first-half defensive collapse, the Vols fell 41-34. But in his first start, Hooker showed strong command against an admittedly dreadful Tennessee Tech team. Now comes his first huge test since moving to Knoxville: a trip to the Swamp.
Florida’s defense has been downright constrained for a Todd Grantham unit this year. The Gators rank only 55th in blitzes per dropback and 67th in success rate allowed, but they give up almost no big plays. Can Hooker and his grab-bag skill corps — three running backs have between 24 and 31 carries, and eight players have between seven and 11 targets (and none have more) — maintain patience and do enough damage that Grantham has to force the issue? And can Tennessee’s defense, which has been quite strong against the run thus far, slow down a great Gators run game and force quarterbacks Emory Jones and/or Anthony Richardson (who might be healthy enough to play after missing the Alabama game) to the air?
Florida’s defense has certainly been a pleasant surprise this season. After struggling in the first quarter, it mostly shut the Crimson Tide down last week, forcing three-and-out after three-and-out in the second half.
With Richardson hopefully back into the fold this week, that’s just another element of this offense that Tennessee has to prepare for, and between the play of the running back group and the quarterback duo, Florida could expose the UT run defense.
The Gators are heavy favorites in this one, but the Vols will try to make the home crowd nervous on Saturday and earn their first win in the Swamp since 2003.
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