Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel Previews Florida Matchup

The Vols will try and bounce back from their upset loss when they face the Gators on Saturday.

Florida Gators defensive back Bryce Thornton (18) upends UCF Knights running back RJ Harvey (7) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 5, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

All of the momentum that Tennessee football had built up came to a halt when the Vols were upset by Arkansas last Saturday night.

The loss dropped Tennessee from No. 4 to No. 8 in the AP Poll and cast doubt on the Vols' future as a playoff team this year. The first chance Tennessee has to avenge that loss is against arch-rival Florida on Saturday. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel spoke about the Vols' upcoming matchup with the Gators on the SEC Coaches Teleconference on Wednesday morning.

“First of all, their quarterbacks are playing at a really high level," Heupel said. "Smart, efficient football. You know, they’ve done a good job of running the football here, understanding the style of game that we’re going to get into. I mentioned communication. We got to do a great job with all those shifts, trade and motion; formation, variation, all the eye candy. We got to handle that extremely well."

The Gators have been playing both veteran Graham Mertz and freshman D.J. Lagway at quarterback this season. Mertz receives most of the reps and is the better passer of the two, but Lagway can make more plays outside of the pocket. The Vols will have to be prepared to see both QBs in this game.

Heupel also knows Tennessee's offense has to be better than it was on Saturday when the Vols scored only 14 points against the Razorbacks. He spoke about how talented and dangerous Florida's defense is.

“Offensively for us, you know, their front four looks like a Florida front four," Heupel said. "Their back end looks like a Florida back end, their backers can run, they’re physical. I think they’re playing their best football right now. They’ve continued to get better throughout the course of it. We got to do a great job at the line of scrimmage. That’s in the run game, that’s in pass protection out on the perimeter. There’s going to be one-on-one opportunities. You got to go win out on the outside and inside on the slot, too. So we understand the challenge that we’re getting into with this football team and expect it to be a great environment and a great game.”

After having a rough 1-2 start to the season, the Gators have won their last two games. They defeated Mississippi State 45-28 on the road for their first conference win. Then they handled UCF at home 24-13 on Saturday, a game some were expecting Florida to lose. The Gators will come into Neyland Stadium on Saturday and try to beat the Vols for the second year in a row after upsetting Tennessee in the Swamp a year ago.

The game kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Other Tennessee News:

• Tennessee Moves Into Top Five of AP Poll After Oklahoma Win
• Offensive Grade Report: Tennessee Vs Oklahoma
• Tennessee Defeats Oklahoma 25-15 On The Road
  

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