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'Hostile Place' Awaits Gators

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By MICK ELLIOTT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2008

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Those Florida Bleepin' Gators are in town today to play the Tennessee Volunteers - and, man, how a home crowd of more than 103,000 passionate followers who promise to pack famed Neyland Stadium wants nothing more than to see those smarty-pants beach boys get theirs.

"I don't think they respect us one bit," Volunteers receiver Gerald Jones said.

Added UT coach Phil Fulmer: "If they don't respect us, why do they practice?"

Every fan knows the history.

In a rivalry born as a byproduct of the SEC's move to division play 16 years ago, Florida - a veritable Johnny-Come-Championship-Lately in the eyes of tradition-worshipping UT fans - has turned the series one-sided.

The early season matchup that often has been the eventual deciding factor in the East Division race has gone to the Gators 11 of 16 times. Florida has won the last three meetings and five of the past seven games played in Knoxville.

If that's not enough, consider last year's 59-20 Florida win, and linebacker Brandon Spikes' recollection this week of the Volunteers: "They quit."

It was spoken quietly but heard all the way up on Rocky Top.

Now, the Volunteers want their say - unlikely to be welcome, young visitors from down Gainesville way.

"Everybody says it's crazy, sometimes louder than our stadium," UF sophomore safety Ahmad Black said, looking ahead to his first visit to the home of the orange-and-white-checkerboard end zone. "I'm actually excited. You get more adrenalin, because everybody always wants to talk junk and say such bad things when you are walking in. It just makes you want to shut them up."

All of which sounds good - if you can hear it. Except that for a team with 60 players who are underclassmen, there could be easier places to play the first road game of the year.

"I wish we played every game at home," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "Do I like going on the road in the SEC? I think it's challenging. Our first year, we failed to win on the road. We didn't have great chemistry. Our toughness was minimal.

"The message will be really clear. You have to play great defense, you have to be tough and you have to take care of the ball or you have zero chance of winning."

Meyer's Florida teams have had issues on the road. In 2005, the Gators lost 31-3 at Alabama, 21-17 at LSU and 30-22 at South Carolina. In 2006, they fell 27-17 at Auburn. Last year, they were beaten 28-24 at LSU, 42-30 against Georgia at Jacksonville and 41-35 against Michigan in Orlando (Capital One Bowl).

Adding to the trap doors of playing on the road, Tennessee has done little to cast a fearsome shadow this season.

The Vols, despite having a new offensive coordinator (David Clawson) and quarterback (junior Jonathan Crompton), were ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press preseason poll, but they lost their opener to UCLA before last week's easy win against UAB. That might not sound so bad, except that after upsetting the Volunteers, 27-24 in overtime, UCLA promptly took a 59-0 licking from Brigham Young.

So the fourth-ranked Gators (2-0) arrive for the CBS nationally televised game as 71/2-point favorites, but they're no less a target.

"Maybe nationally the game might have lost some luster to the average fan," Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said. "But from the Florida or Tennessee fan it has not. From the players it has not. It will still be an ugly and intense environment and a hostile place."

Especially since the Vols say they are taking this one personally after hearing that several Florida players this week admitted they consider Georgia a more heated rivalry.

"This is still The Game," said Jones, a sophomore wideout, who suggested this week that he could be taking some snaps at quarterback as a running threat. "This is the game that determines the SEC East winner, usually. They can talk about Georgia-Florida, but I still think this is bigger because it is so early in the season."

The Volunteers have recorded some of their biggest wins this decade as a decided underdog. They beat Florida in The Swamp in 2001, Miami in 2003, Georgia in 2004, LSU in 2005 and Georgia last year.

Fulmer has done nothing to reverse the underdog role.

"I don't think anybody in the nation is giving us a chance, maybe a couple of buddies and I think my wife," he cracked. "But I'm not sure about that one."

No. 4 Florida at Tennessee

At Stake

The winner's reward is a running start into the SEC East race. Ten times in the past 16 years, the UF-UT winner went on to claim a spot in the SEC Championship Game.

Key Stat

In the past three meetings, Tennessee has not had a run of longer than 6 yards. The Florida defense held the Volunteers to 66 yards rushing in 2005, minus-11 in 2006 and 37 last year.

Key Matchups

Tennessee defense vs. Florida's playmakers - UT coach Phil Fulmer says his defense is healthier and much-improved over the unit that gave up 59 points to Florida last year. Save for two bad drives in the Vols' 27-24 loss to UCLA, Tennessee limited the Bruins to 29 yards on the ground and had four interceptions. Nevertheless, Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Brandon James combined for more than 600 all-purpose yards against UT last year.

Keep An Eye On:

Tennessee - Sophomore wide receiver Gerald Jones, a high school quarterback, could take some snaps. Florida is expected to stack the line of scrimmage to make Tennessee beat it with the pass, taking advantage of first-year starter Jonathan Crompton's inexperience and lack of mobility. The Vols believe running quarterbacks can give the Gators trouble.

Florida - After sitting out the season opener and seeing only limited action in Week 2 against Miami, offensive playmaker Percy Harvin says he is fully recovered from heel surgery in the spring and is running at full speed. That would be good news for the Gators. Last year against Tennessee, Harvin had four catches for 120 yards and nine carries for 75 and one TD.

Injury Update

Tennessee - None reported.

Florida - LB Dustin Doe (groin) probable; OL Maurice Hurt (shoulder) out.

PREDICTION

Florida 38, Tennessee 19

Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534 or melliott@tampatrib.com.

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