Tennessee football is set to play its final true road game of the regular season tomorrow when it meets Florida in Gainesville. The Vols and Gators will square off in The Swamp at 7:30 p.m. ET with the game airing on ABC.
Before kick-off, I dove into the numbers, with the help of UT’s game notes, to get a better look at what to expect in the game.
Here are three numbers to keep in mind as you’re watching the game.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Preview: Can the Vols Break The Streak Against Florida In The Swamp?
6
Tennessee has scored six touchdowns this season on the defensive side of the ball. That’s good for the best mark of any Power Four team and second in the FBS. The only team with more is Louisiana Tech with seven.
The Vols have reached this mark thanks to three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Pick-sixes from Tennessee include Colton Hood’s vs. Mississippi State, Edrees Farooq’s vs. Kentucky and William Wright’s vs. New Mexico State just this past week.
The fumble recoveries are from Hood vs. Syracuse, Kaleb Beasley vs. UAB and Joshua Jospehs vs. Mississippi State.
2001
This is the latest this game has been placed on the schedule in The Swamp since the 2001 season. Then, the Vols beat Florida on the road on Dec. 1, 2001. That game was rescheduled in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, though, and was initially set to be played in the typical early time slot.
Besides the 2020 matchup in the 10-SEC game Covid schedule taking place in Neyland Stadium in December, the other 22 matchups in the series had all either been played in September or October.
Maybe this will be the change Tennessee needs, though, with UT not winning in Gainesville since 2003.
4th
Tennessee has been one of the better teams on fourth down this season, while Florida has been significantly below average.
When UT has the ball, the Vols convert 83.3% of the time on fourth down. This is good for the best mark in the SEC and second in the country. Defensively, Florida allows fourth down conversions 66.7% of the time, ranking 14th in the SEC and 118th in the country.
On the other side, the Gators convert on offense on fourth down just 37.5% of the time. That’s last in the conference and 119th in the FBS. Tennessee’s defense has allowed conversions 57.1% of the time, landing at ninth in the SEC and 81st in the country.
