Gators vs. Volunteers: Info, Odds, Where to Watch and More
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The first road game of the Billy Napier tenure of Florida football will be the head coach's third ranked matchup of his four contests in charge, with the No. 20 Gators (2-1) heading into the rowdy environment of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. home of the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers (3-0).
You can find everything you need to know about the matchup below.
No. 20 Florida Gators vs. No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers
Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
When: Saturday, Sept. 24 at 3:30 P.M. ET
Watch: CBS | fuboTV (start your free trial)
Weather: 77° with a 15 percent chance of rain at kickoff, per Weather.com.
Radio: Gators IMG Sports Network, Sirius Channel: 138 or 191
Odds: Florida is viewed as an 11-point underdog to Tennessee, according to the Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 63 points.
Series history: Florida leads, 31-20, and owns a five-game winning streak over Tennessee. The Gators defeated the Volunteers by a score of 38-14 when the programs last met in Gainesville, Fla., on Sept. 25, 2021.
Important stories
- Picks and predictions from the All Gators staff
- Key matchups that could decide UF vs. UT
- Gators midweek injury report: Five ruled out; Miller, Hill's statuses upgraded
- Gators X-Factor vs, Vols: The running game
- Anthony Richardson taking a new preparation approach with Gators' receivers
- UF names team captains for Week 4
- Gators looking to remain disciplined in first road test
- Billy Napier names Jalen Kitna the Gators' No. 2 QB
- Mailbag: "Is it too soon to panic about Billy Napier?"
- Are Anthony Richardson's rushing limitations inhibiting UF's offensive success?
- Billy Napier previews Tennessee's offensive tempo
- Jalen Kimber went the "long Haul." It made "the difference" for the Gators vs. USF
- Gators' 2023 schedule unveiled
The rundown
The Gators have won 16 of their last 17 matchups with the Volunteers including the last five in a row. Tennessee is heavily favored to snap that skid this weekend in its first ranked matchup with Florida since 2017.
Florida has been on a downward trajectory since shocking the nation by upsetting formerly No. 7 Utah in Week 1, first losing to the now-No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats at home before narrowly defeating the Group of 5 USF Bulls in The Swamp last Saturday, 31-28.
The Gators' passing offense has been stagnant with quarterback Anthony Richardson struggling to rekindle his Week 1 spark, and their run defense has been suspect to communication errors as the new coaching staff has installed its scheme and attempted to develop roster depth.
Tennessee, meanwhile, owns one of the hottest and fastest-paced offenses (2.99 plays per minute) in the country, operating in sync behind the play-calling of second-year head coach Josh Heupel and the efficient play of star quarterback Hendon Hooker.
The Vols' defense isn't incredibly threatening but it has held opposing run games to 83.3 yards per game this season, entering the game as the toughest test Florida's explosive rushing offense (212 yards per game) has faced in 2022.
The odds seem stacked against the Gators in Napier's road opener, but it's hard to imagine the Cookeville, Tenn. native enjoying a first away victory with Florida more than one in Neyland Stadium.
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