Florida Vs. Tennessee 2012: Game Time, TV Schedule, Odds And More

The No. 18 Florida Gators face the No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, with both teams looking to make a statement and improve their standing in the rankings. The Vols haven't beaten the Gators since 2004 and are ranked for the first time since 2008, and Gator fans would like nothing more than if Florida went to Tennessee, kept that streak going and knocked Tennessee out of the ratings in one motion.

Florida's offense hasn't been everything it could be in Weeks 1 and 2, ranking 93rd with an average of 336 yards per game. Senior running back Mike Gillislee has four touchdowns and an SEC-leading 231 yards through the first two games, but he may have aggravated a groin injury in Florida's comeback win over Texas A&M.

That means Saturday's matchup might come down to the defense, which could be troubling. Junior linebacker Jelani Jenkins is out with a hand injury, as is another junior linebacker, Ronald Powell. Junior cornerback Cody Riggs will also not play, and will likely miss the next month with a broken foot. The Gators will need everything they can from the defense: Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray has 643 yards and 6 touchdowns so far this season and running back Marlin Lane is averaging over six yards per carry.

Game Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Television Coverage: ESPN
Odds: Tennessee favored by three points

Stick with this StoryStream for complete coverage including scores, injury updates and more for Florida vs. Tennessee. For all things Gators, head over to Florida blog Alligator Army.

Gators' Jeff Driskel Needs To Learn To 'Give Up'

Quarterback Jeff Driskel was bigger and faster than almost any defender who lined up across from him on Friday nights. As a result, he could freelance and take chances on broken plays without much fear of getting in trouble.

But in Florida's 20-17 win over Texas A&M last week, Driskel was sacked eight times, often holding on to the ball well after the initial play was dead in the water:

"We'll be focusing on that lot,'' Driskel said Monday. "We know that Tennessee will definitely be coming after me, because we put on film that I'm susceptible to holding the ball too long or try to get outside and not throw it away. But I'll definitely work on that.

"Knowing that you don't have to make a play every time [is something I learned]. Don't be scared to throw the ball away and live another day."

As he develops more experience in the Gators' offense, he'll be allowed more freedom to improvise. But as a sophomore quarterback, more often than not freelancing will get him into more trouble than just throwing the ball away.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more in-depth coverage, visit Gators blog Alligator Army. And for more news, notes and analysis from around NCAA football, check out SB Nation's college football hub.

College Football Rankings: Florida Gators No. 17 In Latest BlogPoll

The latest and greatest SB Nation BlogPoll is out, and the Florida Gators are ranked as the No. 17 team in the country.

Florida moved up 10 spots in the latest BlogPoll, which is the second-biggest jump for any team in the country. With a conference showdown this week in Tennessee against the Volunteers, the Gators could be in prime position to move up in next week's BlogPoll with a win.

Tennessee is the No. 24 team in this week's BlogPoll.

Not surprisingly, the SEC dominates the rankings, as Alabama and LSU are the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the BlogPoll. Georgia (No. 5) and South Carolina (No. 11) are also ranked highly.

94 ballots from around the SB Nation network were submitted for the Week 3 rankings. Be sure to head over to SB Nation for all the details on the rankings and the methodology.

For the latest on all things Gators, check out Alligator Army.

Gators Offensive Coordinator Pleased With QB Jeff Driskel's Development

As Florida Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel continues to develop as the team's starter, offensive coordinator Brent Pease said he can point to a couple of plays that show signs of progress for the sophomore.

In an interview with Robbie Andreau of GatorSports.com, Pease noted one play in particular that stood out to him in Florida's 20-17 comeback win over the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday,

"One of the reads, he hits the big pass to Omarius (Hines that led to the winning touchdown)," Pease said Tuesday. "So right then I'm like, OK, the kid's growing up."

The 39-yard completion led to the eventual game winning touchdown by Mike Gillislee two plays later. Driskel also had a big 21-yard run on the final drive of the game that let the Gators run out the clock for the victory.

While there are things to improve on, Pease said he was pleased that Driskel left College Station a better quarterback than he entered, especially when it came to him using his feet more often:

"There's definitely still some things he has to work on, that anybody would have to. Getting rid of the ball. Sometimes he was trying to make too much happen throwing the ball when he just needed to use his feet. Once he started doing that he broke the defense down a little bit and made some plays for us and kept drives alive."

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more in-depth coverage, visit Gators blog Alligator Army. And for more news, notes and analysis from around NCAA football, check out SB Nation's college football hub.

Ronald Powell Injury: Gators DE Has Setback, Likely To Redshirt

Florida Gators junior defensive end Ronald Powell had a setback in his recovery from a knee injury and is now likely to redshirt the 2012 season.

Related: Shutdown Fullback, Week 2 Recap: Florida's Steady Diet Plan Worked

Powell tore the ACL in his left knee during Florida's spring game on April 7 of this year, and had surgery to repair the ligament on April 23. His rehab had been progressing fine until he began experiencing swelling in the knee, and now he appears headed for a redshirt. Team doctors will examine him next week before a final decision is made.

He started 12 games for the Gators in 2011 and led the team with six sacks.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more in-depth coverage, visit Gators blog Alligator Army. And for more news, notes and analysis from around NCAA football, check out SB Nation's college football hub.

Jelani Jenkins Injury: Gators LB Out 4 Weeks After Thumb Surgery

Florida Gators linebacker Jelani Jenkins will be out four weeks after thumb surgery. Jenkins' thumb was injured in the first half of Florida's 20-17 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies.

Fellow linebacker Jon Bostic said that there are linebackers that could fill the void left by Jenkins.

Antonio (Morrison), Mike Taylor, even (Darrin) Kitchens can move inside. We've got some depth at the linebacker position where a lot of guys can play all the positions

Jenkins recorded 75 tackles, six for loss, two sacks and a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown in 2011. In addition to Jenkins, cornerback Cody Riggs will miss around the same amount of time while recovering from a fractured foot.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more in-depth coverage, visit Gators blog Alligator Army and Volunteers blog Rocky Top Talk. And for more news, notes and analysis from around NCAA football, check out SB Nation's college football hub.

NCAA Odds Week 2: Florida Vs. Tennessee

The Florida Gators open their SEC season on Saturday with a trip to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. As one of the better games on the slate for the weekend, Tennessee is favored by just 2.5 points.

Both teams have started 2-0 this season, with Florida defeating Bowling Green and Texas A&M, while Tennessee has knocked off North Carolina State and Georgia State.

The Gators have won the last seven meeting against the Volunteers. The last time Tennessee was victorious in the matchup was in 2004 when it held on for a 30-28 victory.

Both teams are 1-1 against the spread so far this season.

The game is at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more in-depth coverage, visit Gators blog Alligator Army and Volunteers blog Rocky Top Talk. And for more news, notes and analysis from around NCAA football, check out SB Nation's college football hub.

Florida Vs. Tennessee Preview: Gators Take On The Volunteers In Knoxville

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