The Florida football program has seemingly had Tennessee’s number since the turn of century. However, Saturday’s game between the Gators and the Volunteers offers a different narrative than the numerous times UF has been favored heading into Knoxville.
Entering Neyland Stadium as a two-touchdown underdog, Florida and Tennessee’s programs are at different stages regarding their relevance in the world of college football.
The Vols have been ranked inside the AP top 10 rankings for the entirety of the season. Whereas the Gators have faced tremendous scrutiny from their fanbase following the lackluster production they have put on the field in year three of the Billy Napier era.
Nevertheless, the game between UF and UT still must be played. Here are three things that must happen for Florida to pull off a massive upset at Rocky Top.
Contain UT junior running back Dylan Sampson
As much as Tennessee has relied on its up-tempo pass heavy offense throughout head coach Josh Heupel’s tenure, it’s Sampson that makes its offense tick. Through five games in 2024, he’s rushed for 587 yards and over six yards per carry.
The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native has scored 12 of the Volunteer’s 26 touchdowns this season and has also been a reliable option for freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the passing game, averaging over 10 yards per reception.
It will be pivotal for Florida’s defensive front to shed its blockers in hopes of clogging up holes up the middle for Sampson. Perhaps the Gators will get a boost on their D-line, as senior defensive lineman Joey Slackman is set to return Saturday after missing the prior four games with a knee injury.
Florida’s defense has been far from perfect through five games in 2024, but two of its more sure-handed tacklers are junior linebacker Shemar James and sophomore linebacker Grayson Howard, who lead the Gators in total tackles. Moreover, the duo may just need to have the best game of the season if it hopes to slow down Sampson.
Gators get elite quarterback play
Despite a slow start to Florida’s two-quarterback system consisting of redshirt senior signal caller Graham Mertz and freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, UF’s offense has seemed to have found a rhythm over its past two games.
Tennessee’s defense is elite and it will be a tall task for Mertz and Lagway to effectively move the ball down the field in front of roughly 100,000 UT fans at Neyland Stadium Saturday. The Volunteers boast the No. 2 defense in yards allowed this season and have allowed just 9.4 points per game.
Though Mertz has been incredibly efficient completing 77 percent of his passes, the majority of them have come on short and intermediate passes, whereas Lagway has proven to be more effective utilizing the deep ball. The Vols will roll out one of the top defenses in the country and Napier will need to dial up some long balls for Lagway if the Gators hope to keep Tennessee on its toes.
Florida’s skill players show out
One of UF’s biggest strengths to its roster is the skill and depth coming out of the running back and wide receiver groups. Sophomore running back Treyaun Webb will miss his second straight game with an injury but it leaves plenty of room for Florida’s other backs to step up in a huge moment.
Redshirt junior running back Ja’Kobi Jackson, senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. and freshman running back Jadan Baugh are all averaging over five yards per carry and they will collectively need to balance the passing attack that Mertz and Lagway present.
Florida’s wideout room, who has excelled this season, will get a huge boost Saturday as sophomore wide receiver Eugene Wilson III is set to return after missing the last two games for the Gators. In the first two games of the season, Wilson III caught 13 passes for 191 yards and seemed to have been the No. 1 option for UF at the position.
Contact Max Tucker mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Max_Tuckr1.
