Written by Jacob Freedman
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5 Things to Watch: Gators vs Vols
Tyler Bray vs. Gators Pass Defense
The third-year quarterback has completed 73.8 percent of his passes with six touchdowns without an interception. The Florida defense has yet to allow a passing touchdown. Something has got to give. Bray loves to throw deep, and has the arm for it. Florida safeties Josh Elam and Matt Evans are experienced, but the Gators have yet to face a top quarterback this season. This secondary will need to continue its dominance against its most difficult opponent yet or Bray will force the Gators to play catch-up the entire game.
Florida’s Running Game
In the last nine meetings between these two, the school that rushed for more yards won the game. Florida’s Mike Gillislee has 231 rushing yards through two games, and has the speed and vision to break off big chunks of yardage. He is dealing with a groin injury, but if he is near full strength to fuel the Gator offense. AccuScore projects him to rush for over 100 yards so Tennessee will need to utilize its depth on the defensive line to try and limit the heart of the Gators attack.
Fill-Ins on the Gator Defense
Florida was terrific on defense last week shutting down Texas A&M in the second half en route to an impressive 20-17 win in College Station. However, this week will be the first in which they play a bona fide passing attack. Linebacker Jelani Jenkins won’t play this week, and the Gators will miss his veteran leadership and playmaker abilities. The pressure is on for freshman Antonio Morrison to help fill the void, though Morison will need the rest of the linebacking corps to step and help out across the field.
Defensive end/linebacker Ronald Powell looks physically made for the NFL, but it was announced this week that he will miss the entire season after suffering a setback from an ACL injury suffered in April. The burden now shifts to Shariff Floyd, a former top recruit expected to be a dominant run stuffer at defensive tackle, to be a star on the defensive line. Additionally, the Gators most experienced cornerback Cody Riggs is out for a month with a fractured foot. Jaylen Watkins might have more talent than Riggs, but the junior hasn’t performed up to that level in actual game situations.
Proving Ground for Cordarelle Patterson
The Tennessee passing game was expected to take a hit after star wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers left the program, but Cordarelle Patterson has filled in admirably by hauling in nine catches for 163 yards through two games. Patterson’s 6’3” size gives him match-up advantages down the field, but Florida’s cornerbacks (Watkins, Marcus Roberson, and Loucheiz Purifoy) are all over 6’ and will be able to better cover Patterson than previous opponents. The Vols’ top receiver Justin Hunter can’t do it all himself so Patterson will need to be more crafty in escaping coverage in order for Bray and the passing game to fully take off.
A Clash of Styles
When it comes down to it, the Volunteers will be relying on the passing attack while Florida will lean on the ground game for its success. Thus far Florida ranks last in the SEC in passing yards. The Volunteers however are more balanced having rushed for over 180 yards per game. AccuScore has the Volunteers rushing for a little over 100 yards, an outlook that doesn’t reflect well on their ability to establish a reliable running attack against a tough SEC defense. Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel is projected to throw for 172 yards, which might be enough if the running game can get going early and keep rolling throughout the entire game.
Prediction
The Volunteers have as talented a passing corps as any team in the SEC, but Bray has been inconsistent in his past two years and can struggle against top competition. An elite running game is the foundation for success in the SEC so look for Florida to pound the rock all game and send the 100,000-plus crowd in Neyland Stadium home disappointed.
Florida 21, Tennessee 17
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