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Tennessee football: Five reasons Vols can upset Florida Gators

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers brings his team onto the field prior to a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers brings his team onto the field prior to a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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There is a chance for Tennessee football to beat the Florida Gators on Saturday. Here are five reasons the Volunteers can pull out the win.

Crazier things can happen. Okay, so maybe we’re going out on a limb here given the way the season has started. But there’s no reason to completely turn against Tennessee football just yet as they get set to face the Florida Gators in The Swamp.

Sure, they are 1-2 with no wins against an FBS school and no games yet played against a Power Five school. They may have only beaten Florida twice in The Swamp since 1971. And maybe they have lost 13 of 14 to them.

But a few specific things have happened this week for the stars to align just to the point that Tennessee football can pull off the upset. Hey, if the Georgia State Panthers can upset the Vols, then the Vols can upset the Gators. Look at it that way.

It’s hard to see right now, but UT has been improving significantly since Week One. They had a lot of young talent out there on the field, and lots of guys were out of position. There was basically a 180 pulled from that game to the BYU Cougars game, and even though it was against an FCS school, you could see more improvement against the Chattanooga Mocs.

Florida, meanwhile, has struggled at times, although it’s unfair to hold too much against them when you consider that two of their first three games have been against Power Five schools who could go to bowl games, one on the road and the other on a neutral site. Still, they seem to be regressing instead of progressing.

What does all of this mean for Saturday? Well, we’re going to break that down. Yes, the Gators have the better team. And actually, there’s quite a distance between them and UT, which is why they are two-touchdown favorites.

But that doesn’t mean the Vols have no ammunition. Let’s break down exactly where they stand on that front. These are the five biggest reasons Tennessee football could potentially shock the Florida Gators in The Swamp on Saturday.

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