Week 3: No. 7 Florida Gators at Tenn. Volunteers

Location: Neyland Stadium – Knoxville, TN [Capacity: 102,459]
Weather Forecast: 87°F, 0% chance of precipitation
Time: 3:30 p.m. (EST)

TV: CBS/CBSHD
Sirius/XM: 122/143
Online Video: CBSSports.com
Online Audio: Yahoo!
Live Updates: @OnlyGators

Odds: Florida -14; O/U 45.5

HISTORY and STREAKS

» Florida has won 22 consecutive regular season games, 12-straight on the road and 14 regular season SEC games in a row.
» Under Meyer, the Gators are 5-0 against the Volunteers and 2-0 on the road. This is the 40th all-time meeting between Florida and Tennessee, with UF leading the series 20-19; however, the Vols have an 11-9 advantage when playing at home.
» The Gators lead the nation with eight interceptions in two games. That total is twice as many as any other SEC school and two more than any other team in the nation. Florida has recorded four interceptions in back-to-back games this year; Saturday’s game was the fourth time the defense has picked off four balls under Meyer.
» UF has committed a nation-low 84 turnovers since 2005 and has had 24 games in which they did not give up a single turnover (best in the nation).
» The Gators went 4-for-4 in the red zone against South Florida with three touchdowns and a field goal. Florida’s red zone efficiency is 77 percent on the season including six touchdowns in nine chances.
» Florida has had a kickoff return of 50-plus yards and a rush of 40-plus yards by a player in each game this season. Sophomore running back Mike Gillislee accomplished it against Miami (OH), while junior RB Jeff Demps hit the mark against South Florida.
» UF’s RB coach Stan Drayton held the same position with UT in 2008.

KEEP AN EYE ON…

» Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley…who is looking to rebound from a rough outing in which he started his first collegiate game. He has thrown 117 consecutive passes without an interception and has a 14-1 TD/INT ratio while playing for the Gators.
» Demps…who had a career-long 72-yard rushing TD in the opening game and totaled 255 all-purpose yards last week. Demps leads the nation in rushing yards per touch (8.1) since 2008 and yards per carry (12.5) in 2010.
» Redshirt junior wide receiver Deonte Thompson…who had career-highs in receptions (six) and receiving yards (83) last week. As Brantley’s primary pass catcher, eight of Thompson’s nine catches this season have been for first downs.
» Tennessee RB Tauren Poole…who has rushed 40 times for 272 yards and three touchdowns this season. Poole is averaging 6.8 yards per carry and ran the ball 23 times for 162 yards (7.0 average) and one touchdown last week against Oregon.
» Sophomore WR Omarius Hines…who made his first career start last week but is moving to slot receiver for the remainder of the season. He had 49 yards on three catches with a touchdown against Miami (OH).
» Redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose…who missed the 2009 season with an injured hamstring but hopes to make an impact with redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey gone. Debose did not play against Miami (OH) and saw limited time against South Florida.
» Florida’s secondary…which has intercepted six balls – three in each of the last two games. Senior safety Ahmad Black (three) and junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins (two) are leading the way for the unit with their performance and leadership. Black is also tops in the SEC with 20 tackles on the year and is the conference’s active leader in interceptions (11) and interception return yards (233). Junior starting S Will Hill is expected to see the field for the first time this season.

INJURIES and INACTIVES
Injuries
Doubtful – Redshirt senior defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh (stitches), freshman WR Chris Dunkley (hamstring)
Out – Redshirt sophomore left tackle Matt Patchan (wrist)

Inactives
(Will update closer to game time)

FLORIDA ON ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY

The Gators are not set to be featured in particular during ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast beginning at 9 a.m. on ESPNU (hosted by Erin Andrews) and continuing from 10 a.m. until noon on ESPN. However, the analysts will certainly be discussing the Florida-Tennessee game at various points during the broadcast.

Read OGGOA’s Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers preview after the jump!

No. 7/10 Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers Preview

The No. 7/10 Florida Gators (2-0) hit the road for their first Southeastern Conference game of the season as they head into Knoxville, TN, on Saturday to take on the Tennessee Volunteers (1-1) at Neyland Stadium.

Having seemingly overcome snapping problems that haunted them throughout their opening contest against Miami (OH), the Gators utilized a relentless rushing attack led by junior running back Jeff Demps to put away South Florida last week. Though they are set to face a Volunteers team with a pass defense that ranks among the top 25 in the nation, Florida hopes that redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley can remain steady and collected during his first road game as a starter and continue to improve just as he did between the first and second game.

That’s not to say UF will be a pass-first team. Head coach Urban Meyer noted during the week that, with the Gators’ offensive line completely healthy for the first time all season (sophomore left tackle Xavier Nixon returns to his starting role), the running game will be counted on Saturday. Demps will be relied upon, but redshirt senior Emmanuel Moody and sophomore Mike Gillislee will also grind it up the middle.

Florida’s secondary, with six interceptions in two games, will be counted on to contain Tennessee QB Matt Simms, who was 15-of-29 for 151 yards and one interception against Oregon last week. But the onus will be on the Gators’ front seven, which will be faced with one of the best rushers in the nation in RB Tauren Poole. After running for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries against Tennessee-Martin, Poole performed even better vs. Oregon, taking 23 carries for 162 yards and a score.

Back from team suspension, junior safety Will Hill is expected to start for the Gators, and sophomore wide receiver Omarius Hines will be moving into the slot position vacated by the indefinite suspension of redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey.

Catch Florida’s third game of the season live on television on CBS, online at CBSSports.com, via the radio or through OGGOA‘s live updates on Twitter.