After hearing all this hype surrounding Tyler Bray and the Tennessee passing game early in the week, I started thinking maybe I needed to enlist in the growing Vol Navy and pick the Vols to win Saturday’s game in The Swamp. I know many others around the SEC (and the country) who are doing that. But I’m not going there.
Here’s why:
The more I think about this game and the many matchups (and possible mismatches), the more I think about what Will Muschamp has been saying since he accepted the job at Florida. The SEC is a line of scrimmage league. So I’m focusing on that and removing all the clutter — stuff like the fact Bray and his receivers could severely torch a young Florida secondary.
This game is all about the line of scrimmage. This is where the game will be won or lost. And this, in my opinion, is where the Gators have a pretty strong edge on the Vols.
UF’s defensive front will receive a huge boost this week with the return of end/tackle Sharrif Floyd, who could emerge as one of the league’s most dominant defensive linemen this season. The Gators were good without Floyd in the first two games. They could be really, really good now that he’s back. The Gators will be going against a very young UT offensive front that has a very big upside, and could become one of the best in the SEC. But that’s probably next season. Huge edge here for the Gators.
As for Florida’s offensive line, it has been efficient so far. It has opened holes for Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey and it has protected John Brantley, who has not been sacked this season. The UT defensive front is fast and aggressive, but there is little depth and there’s a good chance starting end Ben Martin will miss the game with a sprained ankle. Again, edge to the Gators.
Win the line of scrimmage, win the game. That’s my take on this one.
Prediction: Florida 35, Tennessee 21
Glad to see a fresh take on the Gators chances Sat. Out of state media and my relatives in Arkansas seem to think the Gators will be a mess again this year. Don’t forget we have coaches that know what they are doing this year!!!
Everyone is jumping on Tyler Bray. I hope this happens in the game too, in terms of SACKS! Go get em Mr. Floyd!
Gotta wonder what Brantley thinks about all this Bray talk. Good time to make you own statement, Johnny boy.
I think we can run, run ,run the ball on the Vol defense. JB does not have to show up Bray. He needs to do ehat he has been doing already. That is manage the game effectively and efficiently.
Florida 37 Tenn 14……Mr Bray cannot pass while lying on the ground!
This Defense is beginning to border on the Nasty…..Shutouts and a Field goal are all that have been scored on the gators…..Zero!!!!
UAB gave Miss St. gave Tenn fits last year……
Now for the Offense…..I will take our speed of Mr Demps and Mr Rainey and Mr Debose over any O in the SEC….JB is really beginning to get the hang of the Offense he used to run his whole life…..I think that this is the beginning of a new era……I just think that a staff with 52 years of Pro experience is light years ahead in schemes versus a freshman Vol coach…
Prediction….Quick passes and out paterns to both the speedsters and the Vols are playing from behind by halftime…..Go Gators
Can I come back to Tennessee? NOBODY likes me here!
I agree with you Robbie. UT has the chance to be a VERY good team next year and I for one am not looking forward to UF traveling to Knoxville to play them in 2012. I think UT will be the fvaorite to win the East next season, but… this is Florida’s game to lose this year IMO. The Gators just have better depth along both sides of the line of scrimmage and lets face it, UF’s D is giving up 1.5 ppg and UT’s defense is giving up about 21 ppg, and that’s against very similar level of opponents. Sure, the Vols have the better passing game, but UF has the better balanced offense, the better defense, the better special teams, and the better depth. UF will grind the ball on offense and be methodical and the UF D will finally open up all it’s packages for the Vols. UF wins 30 – 13.
The difference between Brabtley and Bray is this… the senior Brantley has played in places like Knoxville, Tuscaloosa, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee, and the sophomore Bray hasn’t. That’s huge in the experience department. Plus, Brantley doesn;t have the entire offense lying on his shoulders because he has a plethora of skill players around him and a surpisingly good OL to help make it easier for him to run the Gator offense. Bray’s passing arm is basically 80% of the Vols’ offense and he’s carrying all the load for their chances at winning, so we know who and what the Gator defensive coaches are going to go after and focus on.
Spot on Robbie. I think Powell is going to benefit the most from Floyd returning. I am expecting a four sack game from the defense.
UF 34
UT 10
This is the first football game that I have been to this year. I think we will win with a score of 38-28. Go Gators!!
The team is looking better than they did last year and I think we will suprise some people this yeay if we can stay healthy!!
Go way recruits…we r all full. Not enough helmuts for everyone. Go to Clemson. They pay better over there….
Tennessee is “going to be” a pretty strong SEC team over the next few years, no doubt about it…but Florida is coming on NOW, and will be a great team, a national title-contender by next year. Unfortunate for the Vols, but true: their best chance to at least break the Gator streak for one game comes Saturday, and nothing short of an out-of-body performance by Tyler Bray and his receivers (and the Gator “D”-line will have a say in that) will give them any shot at all. Florida 35 Tennessee 17
This reminds of another time a highly touted Tennessee passing QB showed up here at UF one time. Anyone remember Eric Ainge? I seem to remeber it did not go well for that young man. I remeber a huge sack in that game . . .
Robbie, you are spot on, my friend. Our D line will give them fits, but I have to wait and see on our O line, I’m not sold yet. Yet.
You have to believe that Bray will occasionally hit on some passes against the young Gator secondary. But he will ALSO be hit himself, hard and often. What has the Tenn D done to show they can stop UF? Nothing.
I saw a stat that the team who runs for the most yards in this game has won almost every time. UF is running for 200 and 300 a game vs. inferior opponents, Tenn cannot move the ball too well except through the air, and cannot stop anybody.
UF 31-17.
This is the Vols best chance to beat the Gators in a long time.Still have to give Gators the edge though.Vols will have to get some breaks on special teams or turnovers.Bray is the real deal but so was Manning. If we can’t run forget about it. Here’s hoping for a good game.GO VOLS!
The 2010 Dline class will serve notice on the nation that they will fulfill their promise. Floyd, Powell and Easley will own the day. Florida 45 UT 17.
It will a good test of the new coaches and the commitment of the players to the new NFL like style of offense and defense. Inasmuch as we are still in the early stages of this change and Tennesse is still in the catch-up mode with regard to overall team talent, this will be a lower scoring game than most expect. Gators 24 – Tennessee 13
The D-line is the key to this win!!
Well get this rarely said statement…. Gators win with ball control… clock
control… via ground game & short pass gains. UT’s Bray needs to be thwarted SEC defense style….. he’s had it too easy….. 80% completion ???
like to see Demps burn ’em and Rainey juke ’em flat. Our tight ends need
to become scarey threats…. Trey needs to clumsy them…. Brantley needs
to put more umph on his throws ….Driskel needs to haunt them Tebow-style
Sharrif needs to lead a bullover defense–have fun. I want some INTs & tips
To show we’re SEC-ready Brantley/Driskel need 235 yards passing to go with
200 yards rushing… Gator offense needs to slice & dice UT defense..SEC-D
Gators 37 – 13. We jump out to an early lead and cruise.
Afterwards, UGA fans stop thinking about replacing Richt with Dooley and decide to beg Meyer to come save them….
I agree with Gator Todd, Brantley has played in places like Knoxville, Tuscaloosa, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee. He has also lost in a lot of them!
GATORS ROMP VOLS IN THE SWAMP!!!
BRAY IN DISARRAY ON FLA. FIELD TODAY!!!
RAINEY & DEMPS TOOOOOO MUCH FOR VOLS ‘D ‘ then ENTER: JOYER AND GILLISLIE!!!!! TOO MUCH for the TENN. VOLUNTEERS!!!! FLA. SECONDARY WILL GET TESTED AND IT’S IN THESE KINDA’ ‘TRIALS’ YOU GET BETTER OR U FOLD!!! NO FOLDING TODAY FOR YOUNG GATOR’S SECONDARY!!!
DOMINANT D-LINE MAKES THE NATION go …”WOW!!!!! ”
GO GATORS!!!!!!!
Hasanyone noticed Charlie Weiss has put on a few pounds?
I was half right, Robbie…I was sooo impressed with RUN-D, and O-line and BRANTLY’S Game Mgm’t…Not Impressed with SECONDARY and RUNNING RAINEY into the GORIUND like Demps vs. TENNESSE LAST YEAR!!! See film Coach Weiss from last year’s Tenn. game and Demps!?!?
I want RECIEVERS TO GET SEPERATON and SOONER!!! I wanna see MORE DOWN-FIELD PASSING-I guy named SPURRIER PROVED a wide-open passing game can OPEN-UP THE RUN GAME, TOO!!!! Learining curve for WEISS granted ~but warning COACH W…~you cannot RUN RAINEY ALL THE TIME-gotta go long sooner, and not just FLEA-FLICKERS!!! But I LIKE ANY WIN OVER THE VOL’S!!!! GO GATORS!!! RUN-d AND rainey won the game -NICE BLOCK-PINT too!!!!
take it to Kentucky!!!!
We looked good most of the game. (Just imagine how different it would have been last year with a healthy Caleb Sturgis.)
Our wide outs need work! Simple things like staying in bounds would be a good place to start.
D line was awesome, O line was better than I expected. Little wonder our D backs are not WRs: can’t anybody catch a ball?
Go Gators! I would not want to be Joker Phillips this week.
I think so much attention is being geared to the QB, OL, and DL that we may have forgot to fix our biggest problem…the Recievers are very dissappointing compared to our glory days of Dallas Baker, Andre Caldwell, Chad Jackson, Percy Harvin…well ok we have an Percy Harvin in Rainey but the recievers are the ones who need a confidence course. UF always have kept a pretty solid reciever and someone to back them up decently…until now
2nd THAT EMOTION -TALLY GATOR…Trickett kid in TALLY LOOKED GREAT FOR FSU! Laying OUT for a catch, knocking DB’s on their can….
If only FLA had some recievers we wouldn’t be talking about THIS!
Maybe , next year-cause O. Hines and Reed are either HURT or NEVER PLAYED-so far!