Rece Davis believes Tennessee will have a lot to prove against Florida on Saturday

Rece Davis understands what pressure Tennessee might be feeling.

Davis is in Knoxville ahead of ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast from outside of Neyland Stadium. He was asked about Tennessee’s mentally pysche going into Saturday’s game against Florida.

His answer was quite refreshing.

“I’m a fair believer, as silly as it sounds, that the collective pysche of the fans…the players feel that. They’re human. They know they need to win this game. They know it’s huge for the direction of program, the perception of the program and the way the fans feel about everything.”

I asked Rece Davis if there was a mental hurdle Tennessee needs to get over concerning Florida.

His answer is spot on. The #Vols can and probably will overcome it, but that doesn't mean it isn't there.@ReceDavis @Vol_Football @FloridaGators pic.twitter.com/i9CblKUpxp

— Tim Owens (@TimOwensTV) September 23, 2022

Obviously this game is big for both programs and any hopes they have of competing in the SEC East. But for Tennessee a win against Florida could signal a shift in the series. For the first time in a long time, Florida is the one going through a full-scale rebuilding and Tennessee is the program that looks like its on the rise.

But if the Gators can pull out a win tomorrow and make it 17 of 18 against the Volunteers…all that work will feel like it was for nothing.

Corey Long

Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.