Graham Mertz's First SEC Start Comes as Florida Seeks Rivalry Revenge

Not only will quarterback Graham Mertz make his introduction to Florida's rivalry with Tennessee on Saturday, but he will also face an SEC opponent for the first time in his five-year career.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- There aren't many rivalries in college football bigger than Florida's (1-1) with No. 11 Tennessee (2-0), and although UF quarterback Graham Mertz has never played in the annual matchup, he understands how important it is for the Gators to pull out a win. 

The Gators have yet to defeat a major rival under second-year head coach Billy Napier and haven't lost in The Swamp to the Volunteers since 2003. Florida, which was defeated in Neyland Stadium a year ago, also hasn't lost back-to-back games against Tennessee since 2004.

This year's matchup not only sees Mertz making his inaugural appearance in the battle, but it will also be the first time he plays an SEC school in his five-year college football career. Over four years at Wisconsin including three as the starter, Mertz matched up against opponents from the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 but never the SEC. 

During the offseason, Napier made sure to educate each of Florida's newcomers, including Mertz, on the importance of each of the program's rivalry games by using history lessons, previous game film and stories from previous players.

"We did some work there relative to going back and really educating everyone on the history and the magnitude of the game," Napier explained on Monday. "Do you understand that this was the game at one point in time in college football relative to the SEC, the Eastern Division and certainly the national championship picture, right?". 

Mertz further explained that the team had an offseason lesson about each rivalry conflict, its history and its meaning. The team took notes during each lesson and watched the film of past meetings with Florida's top foes.

"What you see when you watch those games is the passion and the love for this place. I think that's one thing that the current players, we saw that," Mertz described. "You definitely want to embody that. Not only rivalry games, but every game."

Outside of the history lessons, the team also relied on the knowledge from former players on staff, namely former linebackers Mike Peterson, the team's current outside linebackers coach, and Brandon Spikes, now a student assistant with the program.

"You can tell when it's a rivalry week, they get a little more amped up. They got up in front of us during camp. You could tell how much it meant to them," Mertz explained. "As a current player, it's got to mean that and more to you, to really honor those guys that came before you." 

Florida vs. Tennessee is a strife that extends to familial ties. Even Napier, whose father coached high school football in Tennessee, has family divided by the line of this rivalry. 

"I've got a couple uncles and cousins that have never missed a Tennessee game, right? They've flown all over the country to watch them play. Well-versed in this one," Napier shared. 

Although Mertz doesn't have similar ties to the series, he does have a deep respect for rivalries across college football and understands the magnitude of Florida's with Tennessee.  

Not to mention, the matchup pits Mertz against former Michigan quarterback Joe Milton III once again. Mertz's former team defeated Milton's, 49-11, during the 2020 season with Wisconsin.

"I think any time you get into a week like this, it's bigger than just this team," Mertz said. "It's the Florida Gators, and that's everybody, fans, coaches, families, people that have played here. I mean, it definitely gets you excited."

Mertz will look to earn his first SEC win, and second over Milton, in The Swamp on Saturday at 7 p.m. E.T.

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