ChompTalk.com

VB: Gators sweep third straight SEC opponent

September 26, 2018

Photo via Chomp Talk

Baton Rouge, LA- The Gators win over the LSU Tigers puts the Florida volleyball team in a pretty great position. The win puts the Gators at 3-0 in the conference, with each win coming via a sweep.

Set 1

Coming into the match, the Tigers were just 5-8. But, they gave the Gators a run for their money. After being down for most of the set, Holly Carlton and Rachael Kramer blocked a shot to tie it up 16-16.

Back to back kills by Taelor Kellum and Thayer Hall ended up giving the Gators a 24-22 cushion after the two teams went point-for-point. Kramer secured a kill for set point.

The Gators hit .286 and managed 16 kills.

Set 2

In an even tighter race, Florida was able to break away off a 19-19 tie for the set. Two kills and a block from Carlton padded the Gators’ lead.

The Gators hit a much more respectable .458 clip with 13 kills. Carlton notched five kills and Kellum came up with three.

LSU gave up the set point on a service error and it was 2-0, Florida.

Set 3

This time, the Tigers were out for blood. But, again, they came up short.

Florida led early on, with a score of 17-11, but a run by LSU tied it up at 18-18. With the game on the line, Hall went off for three kills and the Gators completed the sweep.

Gator Notables:

Thayer Hall recorded 11 kills, making this her 11th match with double-digit kills. Holly Carlton made 10, making this her 7th match with double-digit kills. The Monserez sisters combined for 35 assists and Allie Gregory fought for 11 digs.
MBB: Recapping Media Day

September 25, 2018

Photo via Getty Images

Media Day. First official practice. College basketball is back! After finishing last season 21-13, the Gator’s lose two important pieces in Egor Koulechov and Gator legend Chris Chiozza. Unlike the many disappointments from last season, Gator fans have a lot to be excited about this year and head coach Mike White gave a preview of the season on Tuesday afternoon.
With losing two important and valuable leading seniors, White will look for new players to step up and take the leadership role. “In the limited amount of time we have been on the court, I think Kevarrius (Hayes) and Jalen (Hudson) have probably stepped up the most in a leadership capacity. For Kevarrius, I think it started a little bit more so last year and it has carried over, and Jalen has made a big jump in that regard.” With three seniors and a fourth-year junior to likely start, Coach White should have no problem when it comes to the locker room and on-court leadership.

“I don’t care who starts, I just want to win” – University of Florida Men’s Basketball head coach Mike White

When asked about potential starters, White simply put: “I don’t care who starts, I just want to win.” he followed that statement up by saying that starters will likely not be announced until the day before a game. When and if healthy, the Gator’s are deep, they have the talent to play 13 deep into the roster on any given day, which will pay dividends throughout the season, as the will stay conditioned, fresh, and energized.

Additional Takeaways from Media Day:

A Healthy Isaiah Stokes?
Isaiah Stokes has not played in an organized basketball game since the middle of his senior year of high school, 21 months ago, due to ACL injuries. The younger brother of former All-SEC and current NBA player Jarnell Stokes, Isaiah has gained a lot of weight in his time off, but since being cleared for condition and to play in half-court practice drills, the redshirt freshman has lost some significant weight. “He’s in way better shape than he was two months ago, and I don’t know what the number is as of today, but he has lost a lot of weight,” said White.

Jalen Hudson, Senior Leader
Jalen Hudson has been a vocal leader on the court during the limited practice time throughout the summer and fall, Hudson taking on that leadership role is huge considering he is the leading scorer from a year ago and will likely be in the running for SEC Player of the Year. “I think he’s feeling pretty good about himself, and his physical and mental output, stemming back from some of the feedback he got from the NBA last spring,” said Coach White during the press conference on Tuesday.

Can the Frontcourt Remain Healthy?
After playing just 4 games as a freshman, Chase Johnson was forced to sit out the remainder of the year with multiple concussions. The wait is over, as the redshirt freshman is practicing and will be ready to go against Florida State on November 6. Gorjok Gak, the 6’11 junior center from Sydney, Australia, underwent knee surgery earlier this year in April, and the pain is still nagging him in late September. The word is he should be cleared and will be ready to go by the FSU game. I already mentioned the progress made by Isaiah Stokes, but if these 3 can remain healthy along with Hayes, 6’8 junior forward Keith Stone, sophomore Dontay Bassett, and versatile true freshman Keyontae Johnson, the Florida frontcourt finally has the post depth that it ever so needed a year ago.

Freshman Outlook
The star freshman that everyone is excited about is Andrew Nembhard, who will likely be the starter from day one, due to his elite passing skills. “Who knows how many assist that means, how many highlights he produces, how many minutes he’ll play, i’m not sure, but that is his gift,” said Mike White of his freshman point guard, who he says has a chance to be one of the best passers in all of college basketball.
Noah Locke, a 6’3 shooting guard out of Maryland is considered, one of, if not, the best scorer and 3-point shooter on the team. It is without a doubt that Locke will provide an instant scoring option off the bench consistently throughout the season. Keyontae Johnson is the third and final true freshman on the squad. He was an elite vertical of over 40” inches and long arms that allow his 6’5 frame to play and guard the 1 through the 4. Mike White says that all three freshmen will get minutes.
SOC: Lais Araujo named SEC Offensive Player of the Week

September 25, 2018

Photo via Tim Casey / UAA

Florida MF Lais Araujo was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week by the confernce on Monday.

The senior from Salvador, Brazil scored four goals in Florida’s two conference victories and was the catalyst for an offense that had stagnated for the majority of the season.

In the Gators’ 6-0 defeat of Kentucky on Thursday, Araujo opened the scoring with a natural hat-trick that took only 18 minutes from the first score to the third.

On Sunday, Araujo added a goal and two assists as Florida routed LSU by a 4-1 final.

“When [Lais] asserts herself on a game, she can really make a difference and I think she is really doing that.”

-Head coach Becky Burleigh stated on Sunday after Florida defeated LSU, 4-1.

Araujo now leads the Gators in scoring with five goals and three assists for 13 points and sits in sixth in the conference scoring rankings.

Florida heads to Mississippi State for a date with the Bulldogs on Friday night. The game is scheduled for an 8PM kickoff.
FB: Recapping Dan Mullen’s Monday press conference

September 24, 2018

Photo via Getty Images

Gainesville, FL –-With Tennessee in the rearview, it is time for Dan Mullen and the Gators to shift their focus to Mississippi State. Coach Mullen spoke briefly about the win on Rocky Top, preparations for Miss State, and his experiences in Starkville.

Mullen’s first meeting with Tennessee as the Gators head coach resulted in six takeaways and the most points ever scored by Florida at Neyland Stadium. In true Mullen fashion, he offered light praise while still pointing to the need for improvement.

“Great win for us last week against Tennessee. Obviously, it’s a big rivalry game. To go on the road, we made a lot of big plays. A lot of good things happened during the course of the game but this week, you move on. You gotta fix those things. We have to get better. You know, we played a little bit more physical but we still have to get a lot more physical.”

Mullen and his team enjoyed rolling Tennessee this weekend but his experience tells him that it’s time to get back to work. The SEC is a crucible and demands relentless effort.

“One of the things I’ve learned being a head coach in this league for quite a while is, it usually works out this way. If you go on the road and play a big rivalry game, a physical game and you get a big win, you get home, you come in Sunday and you’re stuck playing somebody even better the next week. That’s your reward, with the depth and talent in this league.”

It isn’t often that a coach leaves a program for another, only to play his former team in his first year with his new team. This is exactly the situation that Mullen finds himself in. He will travel to Starkville this weekend and take on the team and program that he has built over the past nine years.

With that in mind, this will be an emotional game for many Bulldogs who feel scorned by Mullen’s departure. When asked about the media focus on him leading up to Saturday, he shrugged it off saying, “That’s not hard for me. I guess it takes the pressure off of everybody else. Our guys can focus on the opponent and beating an excellent team.”

Mullen’s impact on the Mississippi State program will be felt for years and most of the players he will face on Saturday are his players operating according to his culture and standard. “You’re playing one of the best defensive lines in the country. One of the deepest, most veteran teams out there.” Mullen said of his former team.

“He brings so many different things to the table. He’s a veteran guy, he’s hard to shake, and he’s played a lot of football games. He’s got a huge arm.”

-Florida head coach Dan Mullen on MSU QB Nick Fitzgerald

Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, will also present an interesting challenge for the Gators. When asked about what he brings to the table, Mullen replied,

“He brings so many different things to the table. He’s a veteran guy, he’s hard to shake, and he’s played a lot of football games. He’s got a huge arm. I mean, he can make all the different throws. Throw it underneath, go through progressions, and stand in the pocket and make reads. I mean, he can throw it 70 yards in the air and he can do that from the pocket or on the run.”

He added, “He’s big, he’s physical, and he’s extremely fast.” to the traits that make Fitzgerald such a valuable weapon. Fortunately, Mullen can use his familiarity in preparing for their cross division opponent.

After one of the better performances by Florida’s offensive line, Saturday, Mullen was asked about their progress.

“I think we were better. It’s gotta be now, consistent.” Mullen said. “Now we gotta see that where that’s just the norm. That’s the baseline of what we do and what you see every snap.”

Other questions revolved around some of the differences that are involved in living in Starkville. Mullen said that he basically was either at work or at home but that from his wife Megan’s perspective, there was a lot more online shopping.
FB: RB Dameon Pierce named SEC Freshman of the Week

September 24, 2018

Photo via Getty Images

Gainesville, FL –-Following a blowout win in front of a hostile Neyland Stadium crowd, the Gators are still winning. Dameon Pierce has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week.

Pierce has been impressive in limited action this season and has not only earned reps in a crowded Florida backfield, he has become the team’s leading rusher. Playing in three games, Pierce has carried the ball 21 times on the season. With 228 yards and 2 touchdowns, he has made the most of those touches averaging 10.7 yards per carry.

The Volunteers had no answer for Pierce as he took 7 carries for 63 yards, including a 47 yard touchdown. The game on Saturday night marked Pierce’s first road game as a Gator and he seemed unphased by the environment, scoring for the second game in a row.

Pierce and the Gators will need the same level of focus and intensity this weekend as they travel to Starkville, MS to take on the Bulldogs. On the same note, the Bulldogs will be taking notice of the freshman phenom during game preparations.
SOC: Gators top LSU 4-1, improve to 2-1 in SEC action

September 24, 2018
FINAL: FLORIDA 4, LSU 1

Photo via Chomp Talk

1H 2H OT FINAL

TIGERS 1 0 X 1

GATORS 1 3 X 4

GAINESVILLE, FL- After enduring a goal drought of nearly 700 minutes and dealing with numerous injuries, the Gators soccer team is finally hitting it’s mark. Florida defeated LSU 4-1 on Sunday and have now scored ten goals over the last two games.

Florida is now 2-1 in conference play despite a 4-6-1 mark overall. The Gators sit just one game back of first place Vanderbilt (3-0) along with five other programs.

Game Trends

Just 13 minutes into the game, Florida found themselves facing a deficit. LSU’s sophomore Lindsey Eaton scored her first career goal to put the Tigers ahead. Freshman Shannon Cooke set up the goal with a pass into the box that was kicked around before settling on Eaton’s foot and behind the Gators goal line.

Florid took momentum into the half as senior forward Alyssa Howell found the back of the net just two minutes before intermission. Carina Baltrip-Reyes raced through the neutral zone and into the Tigers end and sent a pass into the box which freshman Cassidy Lindley one-touched to Howell for the finish.

It took Florida less than five minutes to take the lead in the second half. Lais Araujo continued her hot streak with a touch that landed in the upper netting. Briana Solis earned the primary assist after sending the pass across the box to Araujo’s boot.

11 minutes later (61st minute), Madison Alexander scored her fourth goal of the season which is a career high for the sophomore from Michigan. Alexander put a feed from Araujo past the keeper to the near post.

Florida put the game out of reach in the 84th minute when redshirt-senior defender Courtney Douglas capitalized on a corner by Araujo for her first career goal. Araujo placed the corner perfectly into the middle of the six-yard box and Douglas headed the ball into the top of the net to put the Gators ahead 4-1.

After the match, head coach Becky Burleigh stated that the difficult non-conference slate has helped prepare this team for SEC play and praised the players for staying positive despite the adversity they faced.

Fast Facts
- Araujo finished with a goal and two assists and leads the team with 13 points on the season. The 13 points also puts Araujo in seventh place overall in the SEC for the season.
- Alexander’s goal puts her up to ten points on the season. Alexander has scored four goals despite only attempting eight shots on the year.
- Howell has scored in the waning moments of the first half in back-to-back games. On Thursday she scored her first career goal with a header that found the back of the net. These are Howell’s first two career goals.
- Florida GK Kaylan Marckese made three saves in earning the victory in goal.
- As stated above, Vanderbilt is the only remaining undefeated team in conference play while six teams, including UF, sit one game back in the standings.
What’s Next

Florida will face Mississippi State on Friday at 8:00 PM. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network + and can be streamed via the WatchESPN app. The Bulldogs are just 1-2 in SEC play, but finished the non-conference schedule with a perfect 8-0 record.
VB: Gators sweep Mississippi State, move to 2-0 in SEC play

September 23, 2018

Photo via Chomp Talk

The Florida volleyball team is now 2-0 in the SEC and 11-3 overall after Sunday’s win over Mississippi State. The Gators swept the Bulldogs in three sets, making this the third Florida sweep in the team’s last four matches. This is also the 26th straight year where the Gators hold a 2-0 record in SEC Play

Set 1

The Gators started off strong, hitting a .524 clip and 12 kills. Taelor Kellum and Mia Sokolowski had four apiece and Paige Hammons ended the set with two. Mississippi State committed 13 errors in the set and Florida took the set 25-12.

Set 2

A slightly less impressive .405 hitting percentage made for a less handy win for Florida. Hammons made six kills and Kellum, Holly Carlton, and Thayer Hall each added three. The Gators pulled this one out 25-21.

Set 3

Florida hit a low .167 in this set, but it was enough for the sweep. Eight Mississippi State errors turned into points for the Gators. Hammons notched three kills and Hall posted two.

Gator Notables

Paige Hammons tied her career-high eleven kills and made a career-best 13.5 points. Allie Gregory and Thayer Hall led the team in digs with 11 each. Florida is now a whopping 50-0 over the Bulldogs all-time.

Next Up

The Gators will take to the road on Wednesday for a matchup in Baton Rouge. The LSU volleyball team is 5-8 overall and is 0-2 in the SEC.
FB: Gators blow out Tennessee on Rocky Top

September 22, 2018

Florida: 47 Tennessee: 21

Knoxville, TN – The Florida Gators made a big statement on Saturday night with a win over Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. The game marked only the second time in the series’ history that both schools were being led by first year head coaches. The win signifies that Florida is further along in rebuilding their program and that the team is beginning to accept the new culture.

This game was a must win for two programs who find themselves in very similar places. Both teams entered the game just one week shy of a year since last defeating a Power 5 opponent. Both are rebounding from 4 win seasons and both were seeking their first SEC win of the season.

After tonight, Tennessee is now 0 for their last 9 against SEC opposition. Florida dropped their first conference game to a Kentucky team that they had beaten 31 consecutive times before. It should be noted that Kentucky may actually be a player in the race for the East this year as they defeated Mississippi State 28-7.

1st Quarter: Florida 14 Tennessee 0

Florida wasted no time in letting the Vols know exactly how things were going to go on Rocky Top. They were relentless on defense and in special teams, consistently putting the offense in favorable conditions on their way to scoring more points than any Gators team ever had in Knoxville.

After receiving the opening kick, the Florida offense went to work. They picked up first downs on consecutive plays before eventually punting it away. Just 6 plays later, Jachai Polite sacked Jarrett Guarantano and forced a fumble that was recovered by David Reese.

The turnover set up an easy touchdown pass to R.J. Raymond and gave Florida the early momentum. Three plays into Tennessee’s next possession, Guarantano threw an interception giving the Gators the ball on UT’s 7 yard line. Feleipe Franks called his own number and found his way into the endzone putting the Gators up 14-0.

Passing Leaders

Florida

Franks: 9/18, 172 YD 3 TD

K.Trask: 1/1, 14 YD

Tennessee

Guarantano: 7/18, 164 YD 2 INT

Chryst: 3/7, 44 YD

2nd Quarter: Florida 12 Tennessee 3

With the first quarter in the books, Tennessee pressed on against a “bend but don’t break” defense only to settle for a 32 yard Brent Cimaglia field goal. With the fans slightly back in the mix, Florida stalled on the ensuing possession and called on Johnny Townsend to provide their next spark.
A booming punt was downed on the Volunteer’s 1 yard line, pinning them down against an aggressive defensive front. After losing a yard on their first play from scrimmage, CeCe Jefferson would wrap up Tim Jordan in the backfield for a safety.

After receiving the kickoff, Feleipe Franks and the offense went back to work and they worked quickly. Franks found Freddie Swain on the sideline and Swain did the rest. He burned through Tennessee’s defensive backs for a 65 yard touchdown on the first and only play of the drive.

On Tennessee’s following possession, Jeremy Pruitt opted to go for it on fourth and one. Jarrett Guarantano found Austin Pope all alone and streaking down the sideline. C.J. Henderson came across the field in pursuit and laid a touchdown saving hit.

After a 54 yard catch and run, Pope fumbled through the back of the endzone for a touchback. At this moment, you could feel all of the air being let out of the stadium.

Florida finished off the first half with a 25 yard Evan McPherson field goal and took a 26-3 halftime lead.

Receiving Leaders

Florida

Swain: 2 REC, 88 YD 1 TD

Cleveland: 2 REC, 43 YD 1 TD

Tennessee

Callaway: 2 REC, 61 YD

Jennings: 4 REC, 60 YD

3rd Quarter: Florida 7 Tennessee 10

The third quarter opened with Tennessee receiving. Shawn Shamburger bobbled the kick in the endzone before scooping it up, returning it 19 yards, and then fumbling it again. The Gators pounced on the opportunity and one play later led the Vols, 33-3 by way of a 19 yard Jordan Scarlett touchdown.

At this point, the first wave of Tennessee fans began towards the exits. This would prove to be a theme throughout the second half and by midway through the fourth, only a faithful few remained amongst the rowdy Gators fans in attendance.

Tennessee did manage to put points on the board but anything they did would be too little, too late. Brent Cimaglia added 3 more on a 41 yard field goal and Madre London finally ended Tennessee’s touchdown drought with a 1 yard run that came on 3rd and goal. A pass interference call gave Tennessee a second set of downs to score from 4 yards out on that possession.

Rushing Leaders

Florida

Scarlett: 11 CAR, 77 YD 1 TD

Pierce: 7 CAR, 63 YD 1 TD

Franks: 9 CAR, 11 YD 1 TD

Tennessee

London: 11 CAR, 66 YD 1 TD

Chandler: 19 CAR, 66 YD

Banks: 8 CAR, 25 YD 1 TD

4th Quarter: Florida 14 Tennessee 8

Just because they were up big didn’t mean that Dan Mullen was going to let off of the gas and he showed that by dialing up a beautiful passing play that saw Franks connect with Tyrie Cleveland for a 38 yard touchdown. Cleveland leaped over a defender to haul in the pass and drive the dagger into Smokey’s heart.

With only mop up duty to go, Tennessee hit paydirt once again. This time, on the back of Jeremy Banks from 2 yards out. At this point, it was time for Kyle Trask to come in and finish the game. He only had one passing attempt but it was good for a fourteen yard gain.

The rest of his time was spent feeding Dameon Pierce. Pierce has become a homerun threat everytime he touches the ball. He would electrify Gators fans once again as he ripped off a 47 touchdown run to give the Gators a 47-21 lead and close out the scoring.

With the win, Florida has proven that they can go into enemy territory and get the win. In each of the last two games, the Gators have relied heavily on a much improved defense and the best special teams play that has been seen in Gainesville since the Urban Meyer days.

Dan Mullen has this team on the right track and though they are still far from perfect, they have improved each and every week. They will need to continue that effort this week as they prepare to face Mullen’s previous team in Starkville.

Team Stats

1st Downs

Florida 14

Tennessee 18

Total Plays

Florida 53

Tennessee 79

Time of Possession

Florida 25:35

Tennessee 34:25

Passing Yards

Florida 186

Tennessee 208

Rushing Yards

Florida 201

Tennessee 156

Penalties-Yards

Florida 10-79

Tennessee 6-58

Total Yards

Florida 387

Tennessee 364

Turnovers

Florida 1

Tennessee 6

East Standings Conference-Overall

Georgia 2-0 4-0

Kentucky 2-0 4-0

Florida 1-1 3-1

South Carolina 1-1 2-1

Mizzou 0-1 3-1

Vandy 0-1 2-2

Tennessee 0-1 2-2

Up Next

Florida takes on Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville at 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. Be sure to follow the action on the ChompTalk.com Facebook and Twitter accounts too!
VB: Gators open SEC play with sweep of Ole Miss

September 22, 2018

The Florida Gators volleyball team is now 10-3 on the season, with a 1-0 record in the SEC after a 3-set sweep over Ole Miss. This is the 28th straight season where the Gators begin conference play undefeated. All seasons have been under Coach Mary Wise.

Set 1

The Gators were able to maintain a lead throughout this set. What started as just a 5-2 lead quickly turned into a 15-7 lead after two service runs led by Allie Monserez and Thayer Hall.

Florida won the set 25-17 on a .370 clip and 14 kills. R-So. Holly Carlton led the team in kills with five, but Jr. Paige Hammons and Sr. Taelor Kellum added three apiece.

Set 2

Florida held another early lead at 8-4, but the score was padded by another service run. This time, Hammons was the player with the rally, racking up 7 points for the Gators. Florida posted a .214 hitting percentage (while holding the Rebels to a -.138) and won 25-12.

The Gators notched 10 kills- three from Rachael Kramer, and two each from Hall, Carlton, and Mia Sokolowski.

Set 3

Florida’s third set was the perfect way for the team to cap off the night. A .500 hitting percentage featuring a stunning 14 kills (four from Kellum) gave the Gators the set win 25-15 and walked away with the match.

Gator Notables

The Gators made 13 service aces, which ranks fourth in Florida history.

Of the team’s stellar stats, Hammons says, ““We served really aggressively to get them out of system, so we could follow the game plan easier.”

Holly Carlton’s ten kills led the team for the fourth time this season. The Gators move to 50-3 over the Rebels, 43-0 under Coach Wise, and 23-0 in Gainesville.

Up next, Mississippi State will head to the O’Dome on Sunday for a 1:30 match.
FB: Previewing the opponent: Tennessee

September 21, 2018

Photo via Getty Images

Florida at Tennessee

9.22.18 / 7:00 PM

Neyland Stadium

ESPN

As far as college rivalries go, the Gators and the Volunteers are a relatively new one. What they lack in longevity, they have made up for in bitterness. This rivalry has packed a century’s worth of bad blood into 47 meetings and often carried championship implications.

From 1990-2007 both schools were ranked in the top 25 every time they clashed. During that eighteen year span, the two were top 10 for eleven of them. At one time, the winner of this game was almost guaranteed a trip to Atlanta as the SEC’s Eastern Divison champions. This year, however, marks the third time in the last five that neither team is ranked.

This annual feud has been the source of euphoric joy and catastrophic heartbreak. There have been blowouts and nail-biters that have probably shaved years off of our lifespans. But for the last thirteen years, this once fierce rivalry has been very one sided.

After Tennessee won the first ten meetings, Florida has roared back and taken a 27-20 lead in the series, winning twelve of the last thirteen. While some of the luster has diminished for the national audience, this game still stirs up plenty of emotion for the schools and their fans. Yes, these two programs still love to hate each other.

At a glance:

Tennessee Volunteers

Knoxville, TN

Enrollment: 22,317

2018 record: 2-1

Head coach: Jeremy Pruitt

One could make a case that this year’s edition of the third Saturday in September, is the most meaningful in the past decade. Both teams are coming off of disappointing 4 win seasons and for the first time since 1970, there are new head coaches on both sidelines.

The winner of this game will be making a statement. A win will signify that one program is taking a giant step forward in returning to prominance. A victory on Saturday is a strong indication that the New culture is beginning to take hold.

Jeremy Pruitt enters Saturday as a first time head coach and a newcomer to this rivalry. Dan Mullen has experience in both departments and was crucial to Florida’s dominance over Tennessee in the mid to late 2000’s. From a talent and development standpoint, Florida has a slight edge but how will they react to Neyland Stadium at night?

The strength of this Volunteers team seems to be their runningbacks. Lead by sophomore Tim Jordan, the group has racked up 670 yards and 8 touchdowns through three games. The bulk of both of those numbers came in a pair of blowout wins over much weaker opponents in the last two weeks.

QB Jarrett Guarantano has been efficient, completing 72.2% of his passes but hasn’t been asked to do much through the air. In three showings, Guarantano has just 494 yards with a pair of touchdowns. None the less, he has managed the game for Tennessee.

Florida likely won’t face an incredibly interesting offense in Tennessee. As bland as it has looked at times this year, it has been executed properly. This is a team that hasn’t made many errors so far and it will be up to the Gators to force them into mistakes.

If Florida’s front seven can put together a performance like they had last week, it will be a long night on Rocky Top for the Volunteers.

The Vols defensive front is a weak link and could be vulnerable to Florida’s rushing attack. The mobility of Feleipe Franks could also be troublesome for the fledgling unit. Should the Gators get the running game going early, we might see some fireworks later on through the air as well.

This is a must win game for both teams and it is one that will be hard fought and physical. Mullen will have to have his team mentally prepared and ready to be the tougher team. Starting right now, “relentless effort” can no longer be a catch phrase. It must be the culture!

Currently, the Gators are 5 point favorites in their traveling debut. They will receive some help with the return of LB David Reese, and DB C.J. McWilliams, and possibly DB Shawn Davis. The latter two will be much welcomed depth to a depleted secondary.

The game will be broadcast live from Neyland Stadium at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN. You can follow along with the action on the Chomptalk.com Facebook and Twitter accounts. As always, Go Gators!