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Tennessee football vs. Florida: 10 keys to the game for Vols and Gators

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 17, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel coaching during the second half against the Akron Zips at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel coaching during the second half against the Akron Zips at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 17, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA;Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier against the South Florida Bulls during the second quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA;Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier against the South Florida Bulls during the second quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Vols’ jitters playing Florida vs. Gators’ lack of experience on the road

One has to outweigh the other. Historically, Tennessee football’s jitters outweighed them. You can say whatever you want if you’re Josh Heupel, and you can make the case that these players are too young to understand the significance this series once held. The jitters infect you if you’re on campus because of the fan base.

Everybody who has followed the Vols since the 1990s has been nervous about this game, and in recent years, it’s only gotten worse. No matter how different the teams are, it’ll always be true that Florida knows they can win while UT hopes it can win. These jitters are why they fell behind 21-0 even in the one game they won the past 17 years.

On the other hand, this is Florida’s first road game of the year, and it’s an SEC game. Now, they have had lots of solid early tests with two Power Five opponents in the top 15, but visiting Rocky Top is a different animal altogether. With a lack of depth, Neyland Stadium could create problems.

That’s even more magnified by the fact that Billy Napier is installing new systems on both sides of the ball. When you break all of that down, it’s hard to see Florida having an easy ride against Tennessee football in their house. However, weighing that against UT’s inevitable anxiousness, which will cause mistakes, is intriguing.

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