Florida Gators Need to Get Creative with Running Game to Beat Tennessee

The Florida Gators are up against one of the toughest defenses in college football. Having a few tricks up their sleeve would give them a chance to pull out a win

Cracking the code to beat the Tennessee defense will require some creativity. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators look to keep the momentum going when they head to Knoxville to take on the eighth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. 

It’s their toughest opponent to date. It’s not even close. Tennessee has the fifth-best offense and the second-best defense in the country. 

Let’s be honest, the Gators' odds of slowing down the offense aren’t great. Arkansas pulled it off, yes, and Spurrier likes the Gators' chances because of that. But that upset happened in Fayetteville, not in Knoxville. They also still couldn’t slow down running back Dylan Sampson at all - 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Let’s see the Razorbacks try it again with 100,000 Tennessee fans screaming at Neyland Field. That’s what Florida has to do and their pass defense (222.4 yards per game) is on par with Arkansas’ (215 yards per game). They have nowhere near as good of a rush defense and Arkansas couldn’t even stop the run game - see the example in the previous paragraph. 

It’s also a rivalry game with both teams looking for a statement win. Outscoring the Vols is the strategy the Gators need to opt for to take home a win. The way to do to that is to crack the code against the rush defense and get the ball going from the ground. 

Gators Have Options to Get Creative...Use Them

The Gators will be without running back Treyaun Webb. It’s not ideal, but they still have three other running backs who are averaging five yards or more per carry: Montrell Johnson Jr (5.0), Ja’Kobi Jackson and Jadan Baugh (6.7). 

Baugh specifically hasn’t seen much action with just 19 carries this season. This could be his chance to step up. Think about when Chimere Dike began playing a bigger role in the absence of Eugene Wilson III. 

There are also options from the quarterback position to run the ball. D.J. Lagway is a threat with his legs at any time and Graham Mertz has been much better on his feet this season. The Gators will be using these options at quarterback to keep the Tennessee defense on their toes. They can certainly apply that to the running game. 

 If Billy Napier can’t find a way to utilize his options, the Gators will take a loss to kick off the toughest stretch on any schedule in college football. He might also find himself out of a job. 

The Gators take on the Volunteers on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT.