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Back when boy bands ruled the airwaves and Beanie Babies adorned the shelves of retail stores, the Florida football rivalry with Tennessee played for higher stakes.
In the 1990s, the winner of the game was assured a leg up in the SEC East and a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game.
Much has changed since. Steve Spurrier is no longer calling the plays at Florida. Phil Fulmer is no longer lumbering up and down the sidelines for Tennessee. There is no longer an SEC East, with divisions scrapped this past year when the conference expanded to 16 teams by adding Oklahoma and Texas.
The Florida Gators have won 17 of the last 19 meetings with Tennessee but have made just three trips to the SEC title game since 2008, with no championships to show for it.
Florida (3-2, 1-1 SEC) can take a big step in its rebuilding project in year three under head coach Billy Napier with an upset win Saturday night at No. 9 Tennessee (7 p.m., ESPN). The Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC), per BetMGM, are still entering the game as 14.5-point favorites despite coming off a 19-14 loss at Arkansas last week.
“Going to play in Knoxville against a team that in my opinion has a ton of capability and certainly has been impressive so far this year,” Florida football coach Billy Napier said. “I know they struggled a little bit last week, but in our league right now, heck, each week is like an NFL game. It’s coming down to the last seconds.”
Here are five storylines to watch for Florida’s matchup with the Vols:
Which team will get better quarterback play, Florida football or Tennessee?
UF’s two-quarterback system has worked well the last two games with senior Graham Mertz (61-79 666 yards, 5 TDs, 2 interceptions) and freshman DJ Lagway (38-55, 667 yards, 4 TDs, 3 interceptions) under center. Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (78-117, 1,050 yards, 7 TDs, 2…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/rocky-top-tussle-scouting-report-191250117.html
Author : The Gainesville Sun
Publish date : 2024-10-10 19:12:50
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