Florida-Tennessee: After 5 Straight Losses Do The Volunteers Finally Catch The Gators?
From 1990 to 2005 the Florida-Tennessee football matchup was the premier matchup in the Southeastern Conference and at times the entire country. This year’s game has a similar feel but for different reasons.
By Loren Meadows
GatorBaitmedia.com Football Analyst
It is the third week of September and for die-hard Gators and Volunteers fans that means one thing: On the Saturday of that week it’s time to buckle up. From 1990 to 2005 the Florida-Tennessee football matchup was the premier matchup in the Southeastern Conference and at times the entire country. This year’s game has a similar feel but for different reasons. The game most likely will have no bearing on the conference or national championship, but It will serve as a litmus test for two programs looking to regain the prominence of the aforementioned 15-year period.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Gators Head Coach Billy Napier and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel. It will also mark the first time that both teams have been ranked in the Top 25 for this matchup since 2017. The host Volunteers will serve the Gators an explosive offense averaging more than 550 yards per game and the Gators will look to turn down the offensive buffet using a pass defense that is ranked 26th nationally (178yd/game) and control the clock with the nation’s 32nd best rushing attack. With a potential Heisman candidate at quarterback and an improving defense, is this the year that Tennessee ends a five-year losing streak where only one game has been decided by seven points or less?
Tennessee Offense: The straw that clearly stirs the drink is quarterback Hendon Hooker (#5, 6-4, 218). In his second year with the Volunteers (transferred from Virginia Tech) Hooker is in total control of Heupel’s lightning-quick offensive attack. In the first three games of the 2022 season Hooker is averaging 281 passing yards per game while completing over 69 percent of his passes. More impressive is that Hooker has not thrown an interception in his last 167 pass attempts, the longest streak in school history.
The beneficiary of Hooker’s ascension as one of the SEC’s top passers has been receiver Jaylin Hyatt (#11, 6-3, 215). Hyatt has made a big jump in his junior season to lead the Volunteers with 18 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Against Pittsburgh, Hyatt reeled in 11 catches, fifth-most in school history. The most talented of the receivers is redshirt senior Cedric Tillman (#4, 6-3, 215), a Las Vegas native and one of the SEC’s top returning targets who offers a big, athletic target to Hooker. Tillman, who has 17 catches for 246 yards and a touchdown, suffered a lower leg injury against Akron and could be limited against the Gators. Rounding out the receiver group is USC transfer Bru McCoy (#15, 6-3, 220) and Ramel Keyton (#80, 6-3, 185) who is averaging 22.8 yards per catch on the season.
While Hooker is the focal point of the offense, the Volunteers have capable compliments in running backs Jabari Small (#2, 5-11, 213) and Jaylen Wright (#20, 5-11, 205). Small, who led all rushers last season with nine touchdowns, was injured last week against Akron but all signs point to his full return against the Gators. Wright is a more than solid No.2 and is presently leading the team in rushing with 231 yards.
If there is a weakness in the Volunteers offense it could be on the offensive line. The Vols returns four starters to a unit that surrendered 44 sacks in 2021. Pittsburgh was able to pressure Hooker for three sacks but otherwise the line has been solid. Former Gator reserve lineman Gerald Mincey (#54, 6-6, 337) has nailed down a position at left tackle.
When it comes to stopping the Volunteers, the Gators will have to be extremely disciplined with their eyes and well-conditioned. South Florida was able to make life hard for the Gators challenging Florida’s “eye discipline” at all three levels of the defense with shifts, motions and misdirection. The Volunteers are not as multiple but move at a breakneck pace. Every 20.1 seconds the Volunteers run a play, which forces a defense to line up quickly and limit substitutions or checks at the line. The Volunteers offense can be easy to break down but that does not always translate to the field as it is extremely hard to simulate in practice. With tempo, the defense can be put in a position where the mind plays tricks on you and you completely blow a coverage or run fit. Will the Gators keep it simple on defense in order to be properly aligned? This will be the best offense that the Gators have seen this season. No offense, Utah.
Tennessee Defense: In 2021, Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks’ defense ranked 99th in the country; this year his unit ranks 51st. The unit has depth and plenty of experience with the backbone of the improved defense being edge rushers Byron Young (#6, 6-3, 245) and Tyler Baron (#9, 6-5, 260), who each have the ability to be difference makers on the outside. Young, a definite NFL prospect, was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against Pittsburgh, making him the first Tennessee defender to win the award since 2018. On the interior, Omari Thomas (#21, 6-4, 320) returns along with Da’Jon Terry (#95, 6-4, 321) and Elijah Simmons (#51, 6-2, 340). While not a great pass rusher Thomas is adept at batting down balls at the line of scrimmage with six career pass break ups. Simmons, the largest of the trio, had a decent game against the Gators last season logging a half tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. At linebacker, Jeremy Banks (#33, 6-1, 224) returns with his 128 tackles from a season ago. At safety, two potential All-SEC performers patrol the back end in Trevon Flowers (#1, 5-11, 200), a future NFL prospect and one of the Volunteers best in recent years, and Jaylen McCullough (#2, 6-0, 205), a four-year starter who has played in every game during his time at Tennessee (39).
The Tennessee defense currently ranks 19th nationally against the run. Coincidentally, Florida has had to lean on the running game the last three weeks for reasons we will discuss later. The Florida offense will face a defensive unit similar to that of Kentucky in terms of size and speed, but possibly not as disciplined. The question is, did Mark Stoops lay down the blueprint to stopping Florida and will Tennessee follow suit? Florida will run the football out of practice, but must throw it out of necessity. Tennessee was manhandled last year in Gainesville to the tune of 283 yards rushing and the last thing the Volunteers want to do is allow the Gators to push them around in their own backyard. The Gators will most likely see eight-man fronts in an effort to slow the ground attack and force the Gators to make plays through the air. The best defense on Saturday for the Gators will most likely be a good offense that can dictate tempo and time of possession. For that, the Gators must run the ball and play a solid game of catch.
The Skinny: Matt Hayes of Saturdays Down South stated earlier in the week that “Florida has owned the rivalry; Tennessee owns the future.” The first part of that statement is inarguable, but the second part is definitely up for debate. Florida has won 16 of the last 17 meetings and Tennessee has only won 5 of the last 25. Josh Heupel said it only took “five minutes” for someone to mention the rivalry after the Volunteers hired him before last season. To that fact he is 0-1 presently in this rivalry. The Volunteers are as electric an offensive football team as you will find right now and based upon the past two weeks there is no reason to think that the Gators will stop that train anytime soon. However, Billy Napier’s roots are also in Tennessee, just like another ball coach who ushered in a dominant era in this rivalry for the Gators. Billy Napier gets it and will have the Gators ready to compete on Saturday. Quarterback Anthony Richardson must play better, and I believe he will. Unfortunately, along with his sub-par play the potential absence of Ventrell Miller for a second week is concerning. Napier consistently speaks of his team’s ability to “handle adversity,” which surely will come on the road in a hostile environment. The Gators will continue that trend and keep it close into the fourth quarter. To the dismay of Florida fans, Josh Heupel will be 1-1 against Florida after Saturday.
Prediction: Florida 24 Tennessee 34
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