nicksjuzunk
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Tennessee heads down to Florida for their first true road game of the season following their game against...
. Um... sorry, what was I... well, never mind. So the Vols head to Florida where they haven't won since 2003. Since 2003, we have played some very bad Florida teams and have still not been able to win down there. There have been some absolute daggers during that time, including the curl route that went for 70 something yards and the Hail Mary by Felipe Franks. Man... I'm feeling a bit sick, but let's get going.Keys to Victory:
1. Fast Start: Tennessee needs this in more ways than just one. First of all, they need to put behind the debacle of last week and reassure themselves of who they are. The longer it takes to get some consistency, the harder it is going to be to get them to believe last week was an aberration. Secondly, the last thing you want is a Florida team and fan base getting worked up for 4 quarters. Many gallons of Pabst Blue Ribbon will have been sacrificed by kick-off and Tennessee is now a big name to potentially knock off again. Billy Napier needs this win in a big way or he may not last the season, depending on how it goes from here on out. Give me a two score lead in the first quarter.
2. Outrun: With Milton being hit or miss this season, it has been a breath of fresh air to see how utterly dominant the Vol running game has been. Yes... we have played no one as of yet, but Jaylen Wright has been peeling of chunks of yardage like a man on fire. On the other side of the field, you have Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne have averaged 6.9 and 6.1 yards respectively. Basically, all of that was against McNeese State, so that's not worth much, but they are talented nonetheless. Ultimately, Tennessee will need to control the game through the run game to take pressure off of Milton and open things up over the top end. Look for a 60/40 run ratio with Tennessee needing 225+ to notch the win.
3. The Longer the Better: Although Tennessee did not attempt to go long last week, the Vols have yet to connect on a true deep ball this season. This is the week Heupel opens it up and sees if we can connect on a few long balls. Tennessee would do well to have 3 balls go for over 40 yards. For a bonus, give me McCallan Castles getting isolated with a slow LB on a tight end hot pass down the middle of the field.
4. Make Mertz "Meh"tz: Graham Mertz is pretty average as a QB. Efficient with the ball, completing 73.8% of his passes, but not really doing anything to impress you at the same time. While he is unlikely to throw many bad passes, the Tennessee defensive line should be able to put a lot of pressure on him all night long. Forcing Florida into 3rd and long situations will generate enough blitzes to pad sack stat lines. Watch for Mertz to target Kamal Hadden and intentionally under throw passes to generate automatic pass interference penalties.
Prediction: It really comes down to who you believe this Tennessee team is. If you see the team that played Virginia and just needed to tighten up some loose ends, you are likely feeling pretty good. If you focus on the team that came out against AP and regressed in the passing game, then you have legit reasons for major concern. I could see this being a 9-13 point victory on either side depending on who shows up. I think for this week, the Vols take a step forward, and if so, they are more talented than the Gators. If not, Tennessee is set up for a disappointing season.
TN 35
FL 24
45
13
Nick definitely ain’t letting 
