Saturday Spotlight
(20) Florida Gators at (11) Tennessee Volunteers
Florida: When they hired Billy Napier to replace Dan Mullen, I was wondering how this would pan out. If you know anything about Coach Napier, he loves to slow football games down. In the first 3 games, his current team is averaging 58 plays per contest. Just the other day, I said running the football still pays off, even in a pass-happy game today. Time of possession is still an important part of the game today, especially in late-game situations. Let me break down the guy everyone was talking about after week 1, Anthony Richardson. He came out the gates swinging and helped lead his team to an upset victory over a then-7th ranked Utah Utes. Since then, he’s been consistently inconsistent with his play and has struggled. The main concern I have with the Florida Gators is the inability to create down the field with the passing game. They simply don’t have the playmakers and have yet to hit a pass play beyond 33 yards this season which is why you see them run the football so much. I’ll always say if you don’t have something offensively, stay within your box. Overall, this isn’t the same offense we saw in 2020 with Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts. They were an aggressive unit and dominated the SEC East that season. This afternoon, they’ll be in Knoxville for a showdown with a rival.
Tennessee: They’re a fun group to watch. I refer to them as that “video game” team in real life because that’s exactly how they operate. This is a fast and aggressive offense that wants to push the football down the field any chance they can get. The credit goes to the Head Coach, Josh Heupel. Look at his track record! When he was coaching UCF, look how those offenses clicked and fired on all cylinders. It’s no surprise he’s instilled that same Philosophy in Knoxville. What makes this Tennessee offense is the Quarterback, his name is Hendon Hooker. He’s the typical dual-threat Quarterback that can beat you with his arm from the pocket, make a throw on the run with the moving pocket and he can hurt you in the open field with his feet. Hendon has been locked in through the first three games of the season. He’s completing 70 percent of his passes and has accounted for a total of 8 touchdowns. I paid more attention to the Volunteers after their big week 2 win against the Pittsburgh Panthers. It was the fact they did it on the road in that hostile environment. While Georgia might be the best team in the SEC East, this Tennessee team is trending up. Today, they’re back home to host Florida.
Florida X-Factor: Trevor Etienne– The last name might look familiar! He’s the younger brother of the former Clemson Tigers and now Jacksonville Jaguars Running Back, Travis Etienne. The first thing you notice about him is the acceleration in the open field. Trevor also absorbs contact well when it’s coming his way. In space, he can make people miss badly.
Tennessee X-Factor: Jabari Small– This is a downhill Running Back. Jabari is a patient runner who allows the lanes to open up first, then he bursts through. He can also show some shiftiness and be slippery in making would-be tacklers miss in the open field. I like how tough of a runner Jabari is and I say that because even with people all on him, he will still try to get those yards.
Final Thoughts: This is a rivalry that goes back many years and this is also my first time having the opportunity to break this matchup down. The Gators have stumbled ever since the Utah victory, while momentum is on the side for Tennessee. The key for Florida is a consistent ground attack and a rebounding performance from Anthony Richardson. They must control the tempo and keep that Volunteers offense on the sidelines. On the other side for the Vols, expect Josh Heupel to counterattack with the opposite approach which is with a fast tempo and aim to jumpstart early on. Make Florida panic and get them out of their comfort zone. This atmosphere is going to be contagious throughout the stadium.
Prediction: Tennessee 35, Florida 24
