By Kirin C
The Florida Gators look to add to their winning streak this weekend as they travel to Knoxville to take on the 8th ranked Tennessee Volunteers. This is the 54th matchup between the two with the Gators leading the series (32-21). After a strong (4-0) start that included beating Oklahoma on the road and allowing an average of 7 points per game, the Volunteers lost to Arkansas last weekend in Little Rock. The Volunteers came in as 14.5 point favorites and managed to lose (19-14). On the other hand, Florida is coming off a convincing win against a solid UCF team (24-13). The Gators played their best defense of the year which is surprising considering the Knights have a powerful offense led by veteran QB KJ Jefferson. Florida allowed 273 total yards, a season low.
Even after their strong defensive performance last week, the Gators still have the second worst rush defense and the 13th ranked pass defense in the SEC. On the contrary, the Volunteers have the 2nd ranked rush defense and 3rd ranked pass defense. Tennessee having the best rush offense in the SEC and Florida having a weak run defense contributes to the Volunteers being heavily favored (-14.5).
The Tennessee backfield is split between multiple backs but the most effective this year have been RB Dylan Sampson and Desean Bishop. Sampson has rushed for 12 touchdowns and nearly 600 yards with an average of 6.5 yards per carry. Bishop has rushed for 3 TDs and around 300 yards with an average of 7.5 yards per carry. Both backs are extremely statistically impressive, especially Bishop, the redshirt freshmen.
The Volunteers are going to rely heavily on their experienced back Dylan Sampson knowing that they are playing a suboptimal Gator run defense. The game will be a true testament to whether or not Florida’s defensive adjustments are truly effective or if UCF was unprepared. On top of this, the Gators will be playing in a hostile environment, Neyland Stadium, that has a capacity of over 101,000. The game is sold out and in the prime time window making it even louder for the Gators.
The game plan for Florida should center around taking advantage of freshmen QB Nico Iamaleava. Last weekend he threw for 158 yards with no TDs and had a fumble. Just like Arkansas was, Florida is tasked with stopping the explosive Tennessee offense, but with a slight edge because Arkansas was successful last week. Fans could possibly see similarities between Florida and Arkansas’ defensive schemes because of the Razorbacks efficiency last week. The Gators will also stick to their dual QB system with both Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway playing.
PREDICTION
The UF offense will struggle against Tennessee’s durable defense but will find a few explosive plays. Mertz will play well and the Florida defense will play better than usual which will keep them in the game until the 4th quarter. Tennessee will prevail near the end.
Kirin's Score: 24-17 Tennessee
@SSN_Gators Score: 41-38 Florida
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