Tennessee football at Florida: 10 keys for Vols and Gators

9. Ability of Vols freshmen to handle road environment

In their opener against the Georgia State Panthers, numerous Tennessee football freshmen were not prepared for what would be thrown at them at the FBS level. That showed as they adjusted and improved dramatically in their second week against the BYU Cougars, even as they lost that game. But it still means they can crumble when dealing with firsts.

Now, those same Vol freshmen now have to play their first road game. And they have to do it in The Swamp, one of the loudest and most difficult places to play in the country. How is Jeremy Pruitt going to get his guys ready for this?

For as much as Henry To’oTo’o has developed so far, will he be used to dealing with audibles while that Florida crowd noise is bearing down on him? What about Darnell Wright and Wanya Morris on the offensive line? Are Eric Gray and Waren Burrell going to be prepared for this? All of these guys are true freshmen who have no experience dealing with what they’re about to deal with.

Yes, that’s a concern for Rocky Top. Maybe it’s a benefit because they are too young to realize the magnitude of the moment. But what’s clear is Pruitt has his hands full trying to get his team ready to play in that environment. He is relying on lots of young talent this year, and it may be a bit too much for such a rough environment.