Dan Werner sat in the locker room at Thompson-Boling Arena, the haze of having given up 100 points to rival Tennessee still in the air.
Werner watched quietly last year as UF coach Billy Donovan berated a team that had just turned a 48-44 halftime lead into a 104-82 loss.
"He was furious," Werner said. "Any time you give up 100 points, coach isn't going to be happy."
The Gators shot 54 percent from the field that night in Knoxville, Tenn., but were still blown out by a Volunteers team that had two players, JaJuan Smith and Chris Lofton, each knock down six 3-pointers.
"We went there last year and got embarrassed," sophomore forward Chandler Parsons said. "They just killed us. We didn't play defense."
The Gators went on a 16-3 run to start the game against the then-No.7 Volunteers but failed to keep the same intensity in the second half.
"We got a little tired and their depth wore us down," Donovan said.
UF will try to return the favor Saturday night at 9 in front of a national-television audience.
Tennessee (12-7, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) has won five of the last six meetings between the two schools, including both last season.
The Gators (18-3, 5-1 SEC) lost an 89-86 heartbreaker to the Vols at home later in the year when Werner picked up an offensive foul that effectively ended the game with the Gators trailing by 3 and only eight seconds left.
Tennessee has racked up seven losses this season, but don't be fooled by the large number. Donovan isn't.
Of their losses this year, two came against Gonzaga, and the Volunteers also dropped games to Kentucky, Temple, in-state rival Memphis, LSU and defending national champion Kansas.
"When you play the kind of schedule they have, and you play tough teams, I think their record can be totally deceiving in many respects," Donovan said.
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl has called Saturday's showdown on Rocky Top a "must-win game" for the Volunteers and has planed to welcome the Gators to town with a white-out.
"We'd like to think the SEC championship runs through Florida and Tennessee," Pearl said. "At least that's how it's been the last couple of years."
Tennessee's strength this season plays right into UF's weakness.
The Volunteers frontcourt, led by All-SEC forward Tyler Smith (17 points per game), should give the Gators all they can handle.
"The one mainstay for them has been their front line," Donovan said. "(Wayne) Chism, Smith and (J.P.) Prince have all been there before.
The place Tennessee has struggled this season is in the backcourt, where JaJuan Smith and All-SEC guard Chris Lofton have been replaced by junior Josh Tabb and freshman Scotty Hopson.
Neither Tabb nor Hopson are averaging double figures.
"Inexperience isn't much of an excuse anymore," Pearl said.
GEORGIA COACH FIRED: Georgia coach Dennis Felton was fired Thursday morning following Georgia's 83-57 loss to UF on Wednesday night.
It was the Bulldogs' seventh consecutive loss.
Felton was 84-91 overall in six seasons at Georgia and 26-59 in SEC play.
"There was a time, 20-25 years ago, when any school making a coaching change was a surprise," Donovan said. "I don't think that's the case anymore. It's just kind of the way it is."
