Florida Gators linebacker Aaron Chiles told reporters earlier this week that he’s looking forward to making it 11 straight wins over the Tennessee Vols in the Swamp this weekend.

“I understand that we’ve won 10 straight at home,” said Chiles. “So that’s the standard that we’re going into this week with. And I’m looking forward to staying to that standard and making it 11 straight.”

Florida interim head coach Billy Gonzales said on the SEC teleconference on Wednesday that he hasn’t spoken with his team about Tennessee’s losing streak in the Swamp.

Judging by Chiles’ comments, he doesn’t need to.

Vol Network’s Mike Keith details what Josh Heupel said to his players heading into the Florida game

Tennessee, of course, is handling the Gainesville losing streak a bit differently this week.

Vol Network’s Mike Keith joined 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Thursday to discuss UT’s game against the Gators.

During the conversation, Keith was asked how Josh Heupel has approached the losing streak with Tennessee’s players this week.

“Do you put it out there that you haven’t won there in 22 years, and that you’ve lost 10 in a row in that building?” said Keith. “Or do you say, ‘Hey, we don’t know anything about that. This is this game. This is now, this is us.’ And he split the difference. He did both. He talked to them about the series and made them understand the rivalry and what they have a chance to do. And then he also said, ‘Hey, what they did in 2009 or 2013, that doesn’t matter, that doesn’t make any difference to us. That’s not us.’

“So, I think it’s very wise, because I think you do a couple of things there. I think you give this team a little more motivation to go into this game by understanding what they can do. Because here’s the thing, if you ask any Tennessee fan at any point over the last 30 years, especially a Tennessee fan under 50, this is their game. The Florida game is your game if you’re under 50, because that’s been the series that has been the one that has had the most hype and has meant the most because of divisions. So if you ask any Tennessee fan, ‘If we go to Gainesville and beat Florida, is that a big win?’ The answer is yes it is. It doesn’t matter what their record is. And that’s what he told this team — to our people, this is a big game. This would be a big win, and at the same time, we’re not going to sit and emphasize that the whole time. That’s not the overall motivation, because our job is to get win number eight and try to keep this thing rolling and be us. So I think he did a good job with that.”

It’s a tough spot to be in as a head coach. You don’t want to overemphasize the losing streak, which could lead to players playing tight. But you also need to make sure the players, many of whom are in their first season at Tennessee, understand the magnitude of this game.

The Vols need to play with some hate in their eyes on Saturday night in Swamp, because that’s certainly how the Gators will approach this game.

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The Tennessee Vols will face off against the Florida Gators on Saturday night in the Swamp.

Zach Ragan