Tennessee football: Vols, SEC, top 25 predictions for Week Two of 2019
UT Martin Skyhawks at No. 11 Florida Gators
TV: ESPNU
Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. E.T.; Ben Hill Griffin Stadium; Gainesville, Fla.
We’re back to the other elite team in the SEC East, one that was a sure loss for Tennessee football before the season started and now is definitely a loss given what we saw the first week. People are overreacting to the Florida Gators looking ugly in their 24-20 win over the Miami Hurricanes. A win is a win.
The fact is, Dan Mullen’s team beat a Power Five program on a neutral field that had an elite defense last year and returned everybody on that side of the ball. You say they committed four turnovers, I say they overcame four turnovers to win. And don’t forget that their defense had 10 sacks in the game against a mobile quarterback.
Now, after two weeks off, they get a break against the UT Martin Skyhawks to correct a few things. It’s perfect timing with them getting set to travel to face the Kentucky Wildcats next week. They basically get a two straight bye weeks with one game to keep them in rhythm. What more could you ask for against an FCS team that went 2-9 last year?
Prediction
Just like the Georgia Bulldogs, we’re not putting money on a line for this. If there was a bet to place, we’d say put it all on Florida, no matter what the line was. UT Martin was 2-9 in FCS play last year! Even Feleipe Franks, if he’s as bad as his biggest critic says he is, could get five touchdowns in this game. The Gators win in a cakewalk.