Tennessee football vs. Florida: Vols and Gators keys to the game

4. Which Florida rush defense shows up?

Now this is a major question. It’s not about Tennessee football’s pass protection or even the Florida Gators’ ability to get sacks. We’re talking specifically about Florida’s ability to stop the run, and we genuinely have no idea which unit will show up.

As we mentioned earlier, the Gators gave up over 200 yards their first game to Charleston-Southern, an FCS school. Then they gave up over 300 yards to the Kentucky Wildcats! But then, last week, they held the Colorado State Rams to under75 yards rushing and under two yards a carry.

Now, working against them is the fact that CSU has a horrible rush offense, one that’s averaging under three yards a carry on the year anyway. So heading back into SEC play, they could struggle again, especially when you consider the fact that the Vols have been running the ball really well, largely thanks to perimeter blocking from its tight ends and receivers.

But there are a few other things working in Florida’s favor as well. They include things we already mentioned: the return of CeCe Jefferson to beef up the rush defense, the questionable offensive line of the Vols, and the fact that teams who have torched them have used their mobile quarterback, while Jarrett Guarantano has not used his mobility at all through three games.

So yes, there are reasons to believe that Florida’s defense will shut this unit down. It’s just a complete coin toss as to whether or not they show up. And that’s something that makes this game incredibly interesting.