Tennessee football is back on the road Saturday night as they face Florida in a rivalry matchup in Gainesville. The Vols are out of the playoff hunt but are looking to end two decades of misery for the program at The Swamp.
Each week, the RTI team will provide game predictions for Tennessee’s matchup. We move on to the Florida Gators.
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Ric Butler
I haven’t felt great about this game all week, but some of that is because I’ve seen this story before. It feels like a week ago when Schump and I drove down to Gainesville in 2023 to see Joe Milton throw an interception and Kamal Hadden square up. That being said, though, I’m going to treat this prediction like Josh Heupel is treating the game with his team. Acknowledge the history, but don’t let it impact the next game. Famous last words from me.
I’ve been wishy washy about this game throughout the week, but the injury report is really something that has pulled me closer to the Vols. It’s not just one or two players out for the Gators; it’s a bunch. Impact players and bench players alike. If Tennessee can’t show up against a team this depleted and with an interim head coach, I think that says a lot.
Couple of quick points to make. Number one, I think Tennessee has to strike first. One of those early-season first-quarter blitzes would do a lot in giving Tennessee some momentum for the game. But, ultimately, Tennessee just needs to play a four-quarter game to win. I don’t know if Florida is entirely capable of that. Forcing DJ Lagway to beat you over the top could lead to interceptions. He’s been very turnover-prone this season. On the flip side, Tennessee can’t afford to have “throw-it-up” Joey Aguilar that we’ve seen in the last few weeks. If Tennessee doesn’t turn the ball over and can establish the run, I feel better about their chances.
I’m picking Tennessee to break the streak. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But this Florida team isn’t good, in my opinion. If Tennessee can strike early and often, force the crowd back into reality and get their minds focused on Lane Kiffin, I think it’s a big opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done in a long time.
Prediction: Tennessee 31, Florida 24
Ryan Schumpert
Here we go again. It’s a completely different feel as Tennessee football heads to Florida in mid-November instead of late September but it’s another Tennessee-Florida game in Gainesville that feels completely winnable for the Vols. During Tennessee’s 10-game losing streak at Florida, only five Gators teams have won nine games.
Couple things I’m wrestling here. Tennessee played completely uninspired football a week ago against New Mexico State a week ago. Was that because it was New Mexico State in November or was it because Tennessee is eliminated from the playoffs and less motivated? On the other hand, Florida has turned in a couple strong showings since firing Billy Napier but also played just dreadfully in a road loss at Kentucky. I’m unsure what to expect from Florida, Tennessee or the crowd Saturday night.
The turnover battle is the other area to watch in this game. DJ Lagway has twice self-imploded this season, throwing five interceptions in Florida’s loss at LSU before throwing three interceptions two weeks ago against Kentucky. The sophomore quarterback has showed an ability to lose the game. Tennessee hopes he does the same on Saturday night. On the other side, Joey Aguilar’s turnover issues have ramped up in recent games. He’s thrown four total interceptions and turned the ball over five times the last two games. Florida’s offense has struggled to drive down the field consistently this season. Tennessee can’t hand them points with turnovers.
I find myself with little confidence in either team. Because of that, I’m siding with history and the Gators to pull out a tight one.
Prediction: Florida 27, Tennessee 24
Ryan Sylvia
Anything could happen on Saturday. Tennessee could win by 30, Florida could win by 30, either team could squeak one out, it could be a shoot-out, it could be a low-scoring slugfest or the game could go to 10 overtimes before Josh Heupel and Billy Gonzales have to arm wrestle to decide a winner. I just don’t know.
It’s almost one of those games where the more you watch one side, the worse you feel. If you look at it from a Florida perspective, you see a reeling team that’s played some good teams close but has had a laundry list of mistakes. From Tennessee’s side, it’s a team that wasn’t very inspiring against New Mexico State with playoff hopes off the table.
There’s also the ‘The Swamp’ factor. Tennessee hasn’t been able to win there since 2003, which doesn’t actually mean much, but the Vols have struggled on the road in general under Heupel. Will this be the seemingly yearly game where they fall flat against a bad team away from home and lose? You can’t rule that out at all.
I’ll take Tennessee, but I don’t feel great about it. While the streak in Gainesville logically doesn’t mean anything, I don’t think I’ll ever be confident in picking UT to win there until it does.
Prediction: Tennessee 28, Florida 27
