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Tennessee football vs. Florida: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 2, 2020; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt watches his team stretch out before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers in the 2020 Taxslayer Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2020; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt watches his team stretch out before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers in the 2020 Taxslayer Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee linebacker Deandre Johnson (13) during a game between Tennessee and Georgia in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, October 5, 2019.Utvgeorgia1005
Tennessee linebacker Deandre Johnson (13) during a game between Tennessee and Georgia in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, October 5, 2019.Utvgeorgia1005 /

7. Vols’ defensive attack from the outside

With Kivon Bennett’s dismissal, this will be harder than ever. However, Tennessee football has another solid outside linebacker in Deandre Johnson who has been just as elite this year. LaTrell Bumphus and Matthew Butler remain playmakers up front, and guys like Tyler Baron are showing potential on the edges.

In Dan Mullen’s spread offense, Kyle Trask is really good at getting rid of the ball quickly. That’s why Florida rarely gets sacked. However, a key to being able to slow them down is shutting off their inconsistent rushing attack. Given the way Mullen’s schemes work, that means attacking them from the outside.

Honestly, while the push up the middle hasn’t been elite throughout the year, that’s actually possible for the Vols. Again, it will be hard to see how things work out with Bennett gone, but new guys could step up, including Morven Joseph and Roman Harrison.

Assuming Johnson keeps playing as well as he’s played and the ends on the line get a solid push, these guys could make things interesting. How Florida responds to losing its balance could alter the flow of the game, so keep an eye on what all of these guys do against that elite offensive unit.

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