Tennessee football vs. Florida: Vols and Gators keys to the game
1. Which unit has adjusted the best to its new system?
The secondary question is part of a bigger overall question facing Tennessee football and the Florida Gators, which is our biggest key to the game. In Jeremy Pruitt and Dan Mullen, both units on both teams are undergoing major schematic changes.
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Pruitt brought in Tyson Helton to install a pro-style offense after five years in Butch Jones’s horrendous spread offense for the Vols. Meanwhile, he is converting the defense to a 3-4 defense, after years of the playing in the 4-3 with more of a nickel base.
Mullen, on the other hand, has brought in his spread offense. He’s actually restoring the Urban Meyer offense, but this Florida program has spent the last seven years in the pro-style. So that’s a complicated offensive transition on its own. Meanwhile, the Gators brought in Todd Grantham as defensive coordinator to install the 3-4 as well.
So both teams have undergone major schematic changes on both sides of the ball. Who does this affect more? Tennessee football struggled the most through three games, but that’s because of what happened in their opener against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Florida, meanwhile, has largely just reacted based on the opponent it has played. Simply put, there’s no way of knowing who is have a harder time figuring out their new systems. But with so much unfamiliarity, anything can happen.
Tennessee football’s rivalry with Florida often has unfamiliarity. This year, though, these system changes make it excessive. Combine it with the desperation of both teams already having a loss and coming off four-win seasons, and lots of crazy things could happen Saturday. It’ll give us a much better read on where both teams stand learning their new coaches.