Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers: Gators Need Jeff Driskel, Secondary to Step Up Against Vols

As the Florida Gators head to Knoxville for their yearly battle with the Tennessee Volunteers, they bring more with them than a 9-game win streak against their SEC East rivals. The Gators will also be carrying the nervous worries of a fan base with frustrations over the defense, questions at quarterback and torches ready to heat Head Coach Will Muschamp’s seat.

But anyone who has followed what was once a nationally-important series knows that the Gators have a knack for winning this match up. In fact, the last time Tennessee beat Florida, most of the Volunteer players were in 4th grade.  So what will it take for the Gators to take them back to school? Here are some keys for a Gator victory this Saturday:

A Secondary Step Up

Tennessee has wide receivers who are big and physical and a quarterback that likes to throw the ball around a lot. What could go wrong? As the Alabama game showed, a lot. After seeing offensive flurries from Tennessee players like running back Jalen Hurd, quarterback Justin Worley and receiver Jason Croom last week in their hard- fought 35-32 loss at Georgia, many Volunteer fans are excited and confident and Gator fans worried. A silver lining for Gator fans: The wide-open routes that crushed the Gators in that game were the lack of communication errors, not talent. Amari Cooper is fast, but not that fast.  If the Gator secondary gets on the right page of playbook, they should be able to compete with the Tennessee passing game.  Vernon Hargreaves, III is consider one of the nation’s top cornerbacks and will have to make some plays to slow down the passing game and get the Vols off the field.

Hold the Line

The tale of the tape could actually favor the Gators, especially at offensive and defensive line. Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. has been effective so far in the pass rush,and Jon Bullard has added some push, but the rest of their teammates on the line haven’t been quite as productive. That’s a nice way to put Florida’s concerning 645-yard defensive debacle against Alabama. Considered one of the better lines coming into the season, Muschamp is expecting more pressure from the front four, who will have to step up to disrupt the improving Worley. Getting might be the key to slowing down If he gets it, a hurried Worley will have a hard time improving upon his three-touchdown performance last week in Athens.

The Gators are also strong at offensive line in both pass protection and run development. Allowing less than one sack a game, the Gators boast one of the top pass protecting lines in college football. And veteran offensive tackle D.J. Humphries will also be coming back, providing more stability for the group. If the line can step up to protect Driskel and open holes for Matt Jones, Kelvin Taylor and the other Gator backs.

Third Down for What?

Against Alabama, the Gators converted just two of 13 first down attempts. Driskel was only 9-of-28 against the Crimson Tide and threw interceptions on two third-and-long scenarios. It doesn’t look like it’s going to get any easier. Tennessee is statistically the second-best defense in the nation at holding opponents on third-down. Not to mention that every time the Gators lineup for third down conversion, Lil Jon’s voice barking out  Third Down for What will be ringing in their ears. Yes, Tennessee is taking a page from the South Carolina playbook and forcing their marching band to sit on their hands and listen to club music. Rocky Top will be like ear wash after that.

But Driskel has a great option for dealing with overzealous DBs and anxious tuba players on third down. His legs. Driskel can run in Offensive Coordinator Kurt Roper’s offense and in his last trip to Neyland Stadium, Driskel got 81 yards on the ground and added 219 passing yards with two touchdowns in the 37-20 comeback win in 2012. Best advice for the Gators: Get first downs on second down (or first down is OK too!) so we won’t have to hear that song, which will definitely get annoying on many levels if the Gators find themselves in a lot of third-and-longs.

Downfield Driskel

Since we’re in the business of borrowing hip-hop lyrics for football uses, Driskel’s could be: “Check Down for What?”  Driskel has not been getting the ball to receivers downfield, averaging just 5.5 yards per attempt, making him one of the least productive QBs in the SEC. To stop our run game, Tennessee will be flooding the box. If Driskel can beat this with passes of more than 15 yards downfield,  it can force the Vols to spread the field and open up many more options for Roper’s offense. While many Gator fans want to see first-year freshman Treon Harris get a chance at QB, both Muschamp and Roper are standing behind Driskel, with Roper reiterating his support on the Gator Hotline radio show on Thursday night. If Gator fans do get to see Harris, it may be too little too late at that point, so expect the Gators fortunes to be tied to their quarterback’s performance.