Scouts, Inc Prediction

[Sib18]

Scouts' Edge
The ingredients for an old-fashioned shootout in Gainesville are all here. Florida's undersized front will struggle to hold its ground against a far bigger Tennessee offensive line and power-back Foster. Foster's success will take pressure of QB Ainge, who will get the ball to WRs Taylor and Rogers working against a raw cornerback unit. On the flip side, the Volunteers have had problems slowing the run thus far and that's unlikely to change this week. With Myer's scheme keeping the front seven off balance, QB Tebow, WR/RB Harvin and RB Moore will find room to run. In addition, the loss of CB Gaines could be disastrous for an already thin secondary, so Tebow's success through the air should continue.

So, with all that in mind, it's hard to pick against Florida in this game. Tennessee's defense just hasn't played well enough to slow the Gators' dynamic attack. In addition, the noise level at The Swamp will cause the Volunteers to commit penalties that move their offense back and ultimately cause drives to stall.

Prediction: Gators 35, Volunteers 28

 

[TheVol]

Has any "expert" picked the Vols? I have yet to see one.:ermm:

 

[jaxvol]

I hope the Gator player's read all these articles. They really don't have to get up for this game according to the experts.

I would settle for a 1 point UT win, but I would love to put up a big win and shut these folks up.

 

[Pepe_Silvia]

On the flip side, the Volunteers have had problems slowing the run thus far and that's unlikely to change this week.

As I recall, we held a good Southern Miss running game to 90 yards last week.

 

[defaultusername]

An interesting thing to look at is the Gator's penalty yardage. They are 1st (not a good thing) in penalty yardage. (if my memory serves me correctly)

 

[VOLnFLORIDA]

Scouts' Edge
The ingredients for an old-fashioned shootout in Gainesville are all here. Florida's undersized front will struggle to hold its ground against a far bigger Tennessee offensive line and power-back Foster. Foster's success will take pressure of QB Ainge, who will get the ball to WRs Taylor and Rogers working against a raw cornerback unit. On the flip side, the Volunteers have had problems slowing the run thus far and that's unlikely to change this week. With Myer's scheme keeping the front seven off balance, QB Tebow, WR/RB Harvin and RB Moore will find room to run. In addition, the loss of CB Gaines could be disastrous for an already thin secondary, so Tebow's success through the air should continue.

So, with all that in mind, it's hard to pick against Florida in this game. Tennessee's defense just hasn't played well enough to slow the Gators' dynamic attack. In addition, the noise level at The Swamp will cause the Volunteers to commit penalties that move their offense back and ultimately cause drives to stall.

Prediction: Gators 35, Volunteers 28

you make gaines sound like a stud, he was only one of six mediocre CB's that were hanging on to their jobs by the straps of their jocks.

that is why VN is torn, vol fans read too much crap printed in the papers....blah, blah, blah.....all you ahev to do is wee what product we have of the field and the opponent's and make a judgment....you will be right most of the time, if you are honest. we are weak in many areas....but state your case and have a drink. listen to hwat people think about what you to say. that's why i love the VN and Volfreak's post concerning rules. i hope we win saturday so we can stop the slanted and biased love-fest happening with the florida gators.....propaganda at its best. (and I am not in denial...just a realist)

GO VOLS! hit them in the mouth in front of their own girlfriend. Give us a chance Volnation! maybe i am too diehard.
Vols-37 gators-31

 

[CSpindizzy]

Clucko is the only 'expert' picking us.

 

[BigPapaVol]

picking our squad to win on the road with our D should be automatic disqualification from expert status.

I think we can win, but will need some big breaks and Tebow to live down to my personal expectations of him.

 

[VOLnFLORIDA]

picking our squad to win on the road with our D should be automatic disqualification from expert status.

I think we can win, but will need some big breaks and Tebow to live down to my person expectations of him.

we can, have a great chance....UF will be exposed. it will be extremely close i think

 

[VOLnFLORIDA]

Clucko is the only 'expert' picking us.

as long as though experts cover UF and UT sports all year..I will lstent to them, not some ten year intern working on the UT / UF game one week of the year. Most of them just duplicate what others are saying and writing.

 

[BigPapaVol]

as long as though experts cover UF and UT sports all year..I will lstent to them, not some ten year intern working on the UT / UF game one week of the year. Most of them just duplicate what others are saying and writing.

the reality is that most have very good reasons for picking against the Vols. The line on the game is very telling because those producing those numbers have no bone to pick with either squad. It's purely statistics that best reflect how the majority feels the game will play out.

 

[Sib18]

Tennessee Offense vs. Florida Defense
Florida's team speed on defense is excellent, but it's a relatively inexperienced unit. Meanwhile, Tennessee has a seasoned quarterback, depth at running back and an emerging receiving corps. Look for Volunteer offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe to take advantage by keeping the Gators off balance with his play calling. Passing on first down and situations with run-heavy tendencies will make it difficult for Florida's front four to fly upfield. Running on downs with pass-heavy tendencies could create running lanes and help keep the linebackers on their heels. The goal should be getting the defense to react rather than attack. However, don't expect Cutclife to take too many chances downfield. Tennessee's defense has looked suspect over the first two weeks. With that in mind, controlling the clock and limiting Florida's opportunities to put points on the board is critical. So unless the Volunteers fall behind early, quick scores don't have as much value as sustained drives.

Tennessee should have its most success pounding the ball between the tackles when it does run. RB Arian Foster is a powerful runner who rarely goes down with the first hit and has excellent size. Arguably more important, he runs behind an offensive line that has a substantial size advantage over the Gator defensive front but isn't as quick or agile. Attacking the heart of the run defense cuts down on the front five's blocking angles giving the offensive linemen the best opportunity to get into position against the front four. That said, the Volunteers have to get outside at times to keep Florida honest and look for Cutcliffe to turn to reserves LaMarcus Coker, Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer when they do. All three are quicker around the corner than Foster and can shift to another gear when they get a seam. Cutcliffe should try to exploit the Gators' youth at linebacker by running misdirection with these backs as well. If LBs A.J. Jones, Brandon Spikes and Dustin Doe get caught overreacting to the initial action of the ball, Tennessee could break some long runs. Finally, it's important to note that the Volunteers can help their linemen by altering the cadence and using quick counts. However, The Swamp will be rocking and Tennessee has to avoid penalties that put QB Erik Ainge in situations with pass-heavy tendencies so discipline is a key to success.



Ainge is an efficient game manager who will take what the defense gives him and he'll make life difficult for Florida codefensive coordinators Greg Mattison and Charlie Strong. If Strong and Mattison, try to stack the line in an effort to take away the run, Ainge has the arm strength and accuracy to pick on raw CBs Markihe Anderson, Wondy Pierre-Louis and Joe Haden. Though wide receivers Lucas Taylor and Austin Rogers are fairly green themselves, they've been surprisingly impressive over the first two weeks of the season. If Strong and Mattison back their safeties off to help those corners, Ainge is smart enough to get the Volunteers into a running play or call a screen at the line. Of course, the Gators defensive line can take some pressure off its coordinators and corners with an effective pass rush that doesn't give Tennessee's receivers enough time to separate. Though LOT Eric Young gets into his set quickly, he doesn't slide particularly well and ROT Ramon Foster is even more of a concern. There is an excellent chance they have problems preventing defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Jermaine Cunningham from turning the corner.

 

[Sib18]

Florida Offense vs. Tennessee Defense
Coach Urban Myer's spread scheme will put a tremendous amount of pressure on the Volunteers' run defense because it will keep questioning who is getting the ball after the snap. Meyer likes to run the draw-play to RB Kestahn Moore or the fake-draw before running QB Tim Tebow off tackle. He can put WR/RB Percy Harvin in motion and then either pitches it to him, runs Tebow or, you guessed it -- incorporates both by running the option. The point is that Tennessee's front seven must stay disciplined and execute individual responsibilities. If players overplay Tebow, it will create a seam for Harvin and he's tough to catch from behind, even if he is a little banged up right now. The explosive Tebow will turn upfield and tear off a chunk of yards if they overplay Harvin. And the Volunteers can't loose Moore in the shuffle either. Though he may be viewed as the weakest link in this backfield, he is still dangerous when he gets into space. In other words, the margin of error for a Tennessee run defense that is giving up an average of 4.6 yards per carry is as close to zero as it gets.

Both teams will be dealing with injuries when Tebow drops back to pass. First off, WR Andre Caldwell sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee last week and it's unknown whether he'll be able to play or if the injury will hinder him at this point. Secondly, CB Antonio Gaines sustained a season-ending knee injury last week. That said, the loss of Gaines is far more significant, and that's no shot at Caldlwwell. The reason is depth. With Gaines out of the lineup, Eric Berry moves from safety to replace him and Jarod Parish replaces Berry at safety. Moving Berry is a clear indication that Tennessee isn't real confident in its depth at corner so look for the Tennessee to have problems matching up with WRs Harvin, Louis Murphy and Riley Cooper. In addition, TE Cornelius Ingram should get some single-coverage matchups going against Parish. He has the quickness, athletic ability and top-end speed to take advantage when that happens. Adding to the challenge for highly-regarded defensive coordinator John Chavis is Tennessee should have some problems getting to Tebow. Though the Gators are without LOT Phil Trautwein, the Volunteers haven't been able to generate much pressure coming off the edge. And Tebow has the quick feet to buy himself time and the strength to break the occasional tackle.



Florida QB Tim Tebow vs. Tennessee FS Jonathan Hefney
To say Tebow is off to an impressive start would be an understatement, as he has completed 73.8 percent of his passes and thrown for six touchdowns and 536 yards. He has an excellent chance to have another stellar performance working against a Tennessee secondary that has been depleted by the loss of DC Antonio Gaines. However, it's critical he knows where Hefney is all times. Hefney has the cover skills of a corner and he does an excellent job of reading a quarterback's eyes. Look for him to try to bait Tebow into making throws over the middle before jumping the route and the result could be a costly turnover for Florida if Tebow doesn't see it coming. On another note, it will be interesting to see how Hefney handles it if Tebow gets to the second level of the defense and he needs to make the tackle. Though Hefney doesn't shy away from contact and wraps up, he weighs 50 pounds less than Tebow and he could very well get run over.