Tennessee football vs. Florida: 10 keys to the game
![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](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/ac2ea216a1eb714f57dea35826ca27c70f4c514e7f7d66cc938021dcaca6abf1.jpg)
4. Can Vols exploit questionable Florida rush defense?
If there’s one area in which Tennessee football has a solid matchup advantage with the Florida Gators, it’s the rushing attack. Yes, Florida has had some bad days defending the pass, allowing 395 yards through the air to the Ole Miss Rebels, 338 yards to the Texas A&M Aggies and 319 yards to the Vanderbilt Commodores.
However, they are fourth in the league in passing yards allowed per game and sixth in yards allowed per pass. When it comes to rush defense, however, they are below average. The Gators rank ninth in the SEC in yards allowed per carry with just over four.
They allowed Texas A&M and the Arkansas Razorbacks to go for over 200 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Ole Miss had 170 yards, the Georgia Bulldogs had 165 yards and the Kentucky Wildcats had 159 yards.
On the other hand, UT’s rushing attack behind Eric Gray and even Ty Chandler has been one major bright spot. The Vols are able to run the ball, even if they can’t generate a passing attack, so if they could somehow dominate the game on the ground, they could make things interesting going into the fourth quarter.