Anyone reading this probably already knows Tennessee hasn’t beaten Florida in Gainesville since 2003.
Phillip Fulmer lost his final two games in The Swamp in 2005 and 07. Lane Kiffin went 0-1 with a loss in 2009. Derek Dooley lost his only game in Gainesville. Butch Jones went 0-3 at Florida including improbable late game losses in 2015 and 17. Jeremy Pruitt’s team was uncompetitive in The Swamp in 2019 and Josh Heupel’s first Tennessee team squandered an opportunity in 2021.
As Tennessee heads to Gainesville as 6.5-point favorites, the largest they’ve ever been at Florida, the Vols’ nine-game losing streak in Gainesville is unsurprisingly a talking point.
| TN Sportsbook | Bonus Offer | Bonus Link |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | Bet $5, Get $158 in bonus bets | Claim Bonus — Use Code ROCKYBET |
| FanDuel | Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets Guaranteed | Claim Bonus |
| Caesars Sportsbook | Get a first bet on Caesars of up to $1,000 | Claim Bonus — Use Code STARTGET |
While Tennessee’s coaches and players have predictably avoided making a big deal out of the streak, they have also acknowledged the program’s struggles in Gainesville.
“Certainly they’re aware of that streak,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said of his team Wednesday. “But for us, it’s really about our preparation and our practice and finishing the week out the right way to go down there and play our best football.”
Tennessee’s nine-game losing streak at Florida is only part of the story. The Vols have only beaten Florida three times (3-7) in Knoxville since the program’s last win in Gainesville. Tennessee has only two wins in Gainesville since the SEC split into divisions in 1992.
The Vols have struggled against Florida but the Gators have largely been the better team. Sure, Tennessee let should have been wins slip away in a number of seasons, but Heupel and his staff are looking to turn the page in the rivalry’s history. Last season was a strong start but winning in Gainesville Saturday night would mark a changing of the guard in the series.
Heupel’s third Tennessee team gets an opportunity to do it against a vulnerable Florida team which is 7-8 in Billy Napier’s first 15 games and looked dismal in its season opening loss at Utah two weeks ago.
“I think it’s something that, in the nicest way possible, everyone outside of the building cares about and talks about and thinks is a big deal,” Tennessee senior tight end Jacob Warren said earlier this week. “I don’t think to most of the guys on the team, like you mentioned the younger guys, whether they really know about it or not. Just one of those things that, again, doesn’t really matter. When we’re on the field who cares how long it’s been? Whether it’s here or there or whatever just going out there and trying to compete. Be the best on this day.”
That is, fittingly, Tennessee’s mindset entering this one. The Vols are favorites on the road but have plenty of interior storylines that are more important than a losing streak which began before some Tennessee players were born.
Will Tennessee’s defense look as improved as it has the first two weeks against a SEC offense? Can Joe Milton quiet the naysayers? Will the road environment affect Tennessee like it seemingly did at Georgia and South Carolina last season?
Those are the important storylines to follow entering Saturday’s SEC East showdown. If Tennessee answers those questions positively, we won’t be talking about a losing streak the next time the Vols travel to Gainesville.
“In our program a lot, we talk about being able to reset and just play the next play,” Heupel said. “What happened last year, yet alone a decade ago, or what happens during the course of the game, the previous play, has nothing to do with what’s happening next. Our guys are kind of taking on that mindset a little bit.”
