Gator Country

Florida Gators true freshman Dante Fowler is being asked to rise to the occasion yet again, this time in Knoxville. / Gator Country photo by Curtiss Bryant.

By Alex Gray

For the first time since 2006, the Gators will take the field at Neyland Stadium just as the sun begins to set on the Tennessee River. With a primetime showing in front of a national audience and a fan base that has had all day to develop a nice pregame—how shall we put this—buzz, the Gators will no doubt be facing a tall order on Saturday. While it is the Florida offense that will have to worry most about the wrath of the toothless crowd in Knoxville, the Gators’ defense will have no breathers of their own facing off against Tennessee’s triumvirate of playmakers in signal caller Tyler Bray along with dynamic wide-outs Justin Hunter and five-star junior college transfer Cordarrelle Patterson.

The much ballyhooed Gators defense began to show signs that they were worthy of their preseason hype with a spectacular second-half performance against Texas A&M on Saturday, shutting out the Aggies after giving up 17 first half points. This week, the Gators’ task becomes significantly tougher, and Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn spoke with reporters on Wednesday to discuss the challenges of defending an explosive offense and a team with a tremendous chip on their shoulders.

More Football | RSS