The No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers are preparing to head down to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators this weekend.
If you’ve been a Tennessee fan for any amount of time, you know the Vols have struggled
to win in The Swamp. In fact, the team has not done so since 2003. That’s 10 straight losses for the Vols at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and if it gets to 11 straight, you should probably avoid getting on social media for a while.
Heading into this matchup, though, Tennessee is a clear favorite. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Vols a 65% chance to win against the 3-7 Gators. Vols fans know that being the favorite doesn’t always matter when these rivals play, so what do the Vols need to do to get a win this weekend?
Let’s identify the three keys to a Tennessee victory over Florida.
Get an early lead
Entering this weekend, the Vols have the No. 2 scoring offense in the country. Only North Texas averages more points per game than the Vols, while the Gators are all the way down at No. 113 in the same category.
If the Vols get points on the board quickly, the Gators may not be able to keep up. We also know that the Florida crowd will be amped up for a night game against Tennessee, and putting points on the board early will prevent the crowd from getting into the game.
The Vols have lost two games when trailing at halftime this year. If they go into the break with a lead, you have to feel good about the chances for a victory.
Protect Joey Aguilar
All things considered, the Vols have done a fine job of protecting Joey Aguilar in 2024. The team has allowed just 13 sacks in 10 games, but most of those sacks have come in the team’s losses.
Aguilar was sacked four times against Alabama and four times against Oklahoma, both games the Vols lost. The Gators also could be getting defensive lineman Caleb Banks back for this one, and Banks had 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss last season.
If Aguilar has clean pockets and time to let his receivers get space, good things will happen.
Don’t let D.J. Lagway have a legacy game
The biggest weakness for Tennessee is the pass defense. The Vols’ unit ranks 117th in the country and is allowing 260.2 yards per game through the air.
D.J. Lagway hasn’t been great, but he was a top recruit for a reason. The quarterback had his best game of the season against a tough Texas defense, when he threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns. The Gators won that game, and a similar performance against the Vols could easily lead to another win for the Gators.
On paper, Lagway vs. this seconday seems like a bad matchup. The secondary needs to step up and not let this turn into a shootout.
