Billy Napier says the Swamp will be 'different' for Florida's showdown with Tennessee
The big games come quickly in college football. It feels like the season just started and yet the Tennessee Vols are already preparing for a game that could define their season. The Vols are set to travel to Gainesville for a matchup with the Florida Gators, a team that Tennessee hasn't beaten on the road […]
The big games come quickly in college football.
It feels like the season just started and yet the Tennessee Vols are already preparing for a game that could define their season.
The Vols are set to travel to Gainesville for a matchup with the Florida Gators, a team that Tennessee hasn't beaten on the road since 2003.
Tennessee is hoping that a win against Florida will be the start of a special run that ends with the program's first SEC East division title since 2007.
But after the Vols' ugly 30-13 win against Austin Peay and Florida's improved play in a 49-7 rout of McNeese, there's some nervousness among the Tennessee fan base when it comes to how UT will perform in the Swamp on Saturday night.
The Gators know that a win against Tennessee can get their season back on track after a tough season-opening loss to Utah. And the Vols know that they have to beat Florida or their dreams of winning the SEC East will be on life support after just one conference game.
There's plenty of pressure on both teams which should make for an intense and compelling matchup between two longtime rivals.
Florida head coach Billy Napier acknowledged after the Gators' win against McNeese that Tennessee is coming to town and the stage for UF Football will be much bigger on Saturday night.
"We have young players that need to continue to develop," said Napier ahead of a big game against the Vols. "A lot of guys have gotten significant experience the first two weeks, and obviously this will be a huge game, and that Swamp will be a lot different next week. It'll be a bigger stage."
Georgia, via their win in Athens against the Vols last fall, essentially gave Florida (and the rest of college football) the blueprint for beating Tennessee.
Generate pressure with your front four and impact the game with crowd noise. The teams that can effectively do that are the teams that will have the most success against the Vols.
The environment on Saturday night in the Swamp is going to be loud. It's going to be hard to communicate. And Tennessee will have to find a way to handle it better than they did last season in Athens.
In addition to the loud crowd, the Vols will also have to deal with a Florida defensive line that Napier is feeling confident about.
"I do think our ability to rush the passer in particular, I think we could put a pretty good sub package out there that could go get the quarterback," said Napier after Florida's win on Saturday night. "That's one of the areas of emphasis in recruiting was to go get guys that can finish on the quarterback. I think we struggled last year on 3rd down for a number of reasons, and I think we're off to a pretty decent start there so far this year."
Tennessee's offensive line will have to play at a high level (while limiting pre-snap penalties) against Florida. If the Vols can hold up against the Gators' defensive line, then Tennessee will probably win the game. But if there are a bunch of false starts and blown assignments then the advantage will tilt heavily in Florida's favor.
It's unclear if center Cooper Mays will return this week. Mays, who has missed the Vols' first two games of the season after undergoing a procedure during fall camp, is one of the most important players on the offensive side of the ball for Tennessee. Getting him back would be a big boost, though it could take him a series or two to settle into the flow of the game since he hasn't played in an actual game since the Vols' Orange Bowl win against Clemson.
Regardless of who is out there for Tennessee, it's going to be an active night for the offensive line. And it'll be up to them, along with running backs and tight ends, to make sure that quarterback Joe Milton has enough time to operate the Vols' offense at a high level.
Tennessee is 2-0 and Vols QB Joe Milton already deserves a little more grace from fans
Tennessee is 2-0 and Vols quarterback Joe Milton already deserves a little more grace from UT fans
