SEC Kickoff: Everything you need to know about Florida vs. Tennessee

Here’s everything you need to know before Tennessee kicks off at home against Florida in a SEC East showdown.

When: Saturday, Oct. 4
Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
Game Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Current Line: Tennessee (-2.5)
Game buzz: Florida and Tennessee’s matchup today might not have the intrigue of a top-tier game like it has in the past, but this game is still incredibly important for both teams. The Gators are in the midst of an identity crisis. With a flailing secondary and an inept quarterback, fans are unsure of what they’ll get out of the Gators this afternoon, but a win against their SEC East rival would be a temporary solution to the team’s issues at the moment. For the Vols, this game represents an opportunity to say “we’re back.” Tennessee may not be a real contender in the SEC East this season, but a victory over the Gators would be a huge step forward. Not to mention, this is one of the best chances Tennessee has had to break their nine-game losing streak against Florida. A lot will riding on today’s SEC East showdown in Knoxville.

SATURDAY DOWN SOUTH PREVIEWS

• Return of DJ Humphries gives Gators offensive line big lift
• Gaining the Edge: Florida and Tennessee fight to have best running game
• Gators linebacker on Jalen Hurd: ‘I don’t think he can hang with us’
• 5 Tennessee players every Florida fan should know
• Matchup breakdown: Jalen Hurd is catching Gators’ attention
• Ethan Wolf’s return provides spark to Tennessee offense
• Florida at Tennessee: Player of the game and final score predictions
• Bold Predictions: Tennessee looks to snap annual losing streak to Florida 
• Is AJ Johnson a SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate?
• Will Marquez North see a breakout performance against Florida?

FLORIDA GATORS

Players to watch:

• QB Jeff Driskel
• DE Dante Fowler
• WR Quinton Dunbar
• CB Vernon Hargreaves
• RB Kelvin Taylor
• RB Matt Jones
• WR Demarcus Robinson
• LB Michael Taylor
• OL Rod Johnson
• LB Neiron Ball
• CB Brian Poole
• TE Clay Burton
• FS Keanu Neal
• LT DJ Humphries

Keys for Florida:

• Limit big passing plays – This has been a major issue for the Gators secondary during the last two games. Thanks to several communication breakdowns, the defensive backs have been torched for big passing yards and Justin Worley has proven that he could do the same to the Gators secondary if those mistakes haven’t been corrected. The run defense is there for the Gators and if they can keep the Vols from passing downfield, they should be able to keep Tennessee off the scoreboard enough to win the game.
• Build Driskel’s confidence – It’s no secret that the redshirt junior has struggled recently with his decision making. I think it’ll be important for the Gators to build his confidence early. Whether it’s through shorter passes like outs and bubble screens or perhaps getting him involved in the running game early, it’s key that Driskel gain confidence throughout the game. As ineffective as he was against Alabama, the Gators don’t win unless he plays a good game.
• Take the crowd out early – Despite a 2-2 record, fan enthusiasm has never been higher for the Tennessee Vols in quite some time and Neyland Stadium will be rocking come 12 p.m. The Gators will need to take the crowd out early and get off to a quick start. The longer the crowd is in the game, the longer Tennessee believes they can win the game. In a hostile environment like the one the Gators will face today, crowd noise can play a huge role in the game. Minimizing its effect will be crucial for Florida.

Glaring weakness to watch: Pass rush. The Gators have a ton of talent along the front seven, but they’ve been largely ineffective in getting any pass rush on opposing quarterbacks this season. Florida should have plenty of opportunities today against a smaller, inexperienced offensive line for Tennessee.

Most interesting part of the game: Based off of what linebacker Jarrad Davis said earlier this week about Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd, the Gators are pretty confident in their ability to stop the true freshman standout. However, Hurd’s gained confidence as the season as gone on, achieving his first 100-yard game last week against Georgia. Whether or not the Gators can back up their words will be something to watch for in this SEC East showdown.

Team buzz: The Gators struggled against Alabama and looked inept in several offensive areas, but they still have control of their own destiny in the SEC East. A win here keeps the Gators as contenders in the East, but a loss brings on a lot more issues other than just falling out of the divisional race. It would certainly increase the detractors of both Will Muschamp and Jeff Driskel if the Gators were to lose to the Vols today.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

Players to watch:

• QB Justin Worley
• RB Jalen Hurd
• WR Marquez North
• WR Von Pearson
• WR Josh Malone
• TE Ethan Wolf
• DE Derek Barnett
• LB A.J. Johnson
• LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
• CB Cameron Sutton
• S Todd Kelly Jr.

Keys for Tennessee:

• Justin Worley must stay healthy- Justin Worley proved his value to Tennessee’s offense on Saturday. Not only did Worley enjoy one of his best career performances against SEC competition, but his absence ultimately cost the Vols a potential upset. The senior quarterback will need to stay healthy for Tennessee to capture its first win since 2004.
• Jalen Hurd must continue his progression- Jalen Hurd has topped his single-game totals each week in 2014. The Hendersonville, Tenn., native broke the 100-yard plateau with 119 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s loss. With Florida linebacker providing Jarrad Davis vocal criticism earlier this week, the former five-star prospect should have enough motivation to see another breakout performance.
• Defense must pressure Jeff Driskel- Jeff Driskel has struggled when pressured this season. The Tennessee defense prides itself  on such a game plan, taking on the moniker of “Orange Swarm” in 2014. The Vols front seven must bring constant pressure to the dual-threat quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

Glaring weakness to watch: Offensive line. Worley has been sacked 12 times and hurried 11. The Vols looked abysmal against Oklahoma in Week 3 and still showed flaws coming off a bye week against Georgia. Tennessee must protect its quarterback, who already has an elbow injury from the previous week.

Most interesting part of the game: Will Von Pearson be ready for Saturday’s game? The former JUCO All-American practiced for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2. His presence gives Tennessee an immediate boost to an already talented wide receiving corps and will free up space for No. 1 option Marquez North.

Team buzz: Tennessee is a team on the rise. The Vols have a surplus of talent at skill positions, but need to gain experience to be a true contender in the SEC. A victory over Florida would be a signature win for Butch Jones moving forward in his team’s rebuilding process.

Drew Laing

Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.