Vols look to bounce back, end streak against Gators
The Tennessee Volunteers are heading down to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators Saturday.
The Vols have not beaten their divisional rivals in the last eight tries, and they have not won in Gainesville since 2003.
Both teams will come in to the game coming off a loss, as Tennessee got thrashed at Oregon 59-14 last week, and Florida, who is coming off a bye, was upset by Miami two weeks ago.
So far, neither offense has looked very effective. Vol quarterback Justin Worley was woefully inept against the Ducks, and he may not even start in The Swamp. Gator quarterback Jeff Driskel, along with the rest of the Florida offense, has been turnover-prone.
Both teams will probably try to lean on the run, due to the deficiencies in the passing game. In the last 23 meetings between the Gators and Vols, the team with the most rushing yards won 22 of those games. Florida has outgained Tennessee on the ground by an average of over 126 yards per game during the eight game streak, including a colossal 253 yard difference last season.
Florida has a clear advantage defensively, allowing only 208.5 yards per game. Tennessee, on the other hand, gave up more than 600 yards of offense and nearly 60 points last week. However, the Gator offense is a far cry from what the Vols faced in Autzen Stadium. The mistake-prone Gators could play into Tennessee’s hands, as the Vols have forced nine turnovers and have only committed four penalties.
The key for the Gators will be to limit mistakes and make Tennessee earn everything they get. The Vols need to take advantage of any breaks they are given and force Driskel to make plays with his arm, rather than his feet.
Tennessee and Florida will square off at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS.
