No. 20 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 in Southeastern Conference) journeys to “The Swamp” to face Florida (3-7, 2-5 in SEC) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. EDT) for its final road game of the year. The keys to a Tennessee victory are listed below:  

Despite leading the SEC in passing yards and touchdowns through week 12, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar’s turnover problems have been a blemish on an otherwise highly efficient season. The senior signal-caller threw four interceptions in his previous 2 games, bringing his season total to 10. Three of those 10 came in road contests. Heading into a rowdy Gainesville environment on Saturday night, it’s crucial that Aguilar puts together a sharp performance without turnovers. Although the Vols have proven they can win games where Aguilar gives up the ball, they simply cannot rely on past experience in a game like this. Giving free possessions to this Florida team could lead to big momentum shifts and be detrimental to Tennessee. 

Tennessee wideout Chris Brazzell II is a semifinalist for the 2025 Biletnikoff Award, recognizing the most outstanding wide receiver in college football. Brazzell leads all receivers in the SEC in both receiving yards (873) and touchdowns (8) and has had a profound impact with the Volunteers in his junior season. After starting the season red-hot, with monster games against ETSU and Georgia in weeks two and three, Brazzell continued his dominance through week nine against Kentucky with a 138-yard, 1 TD performance. Since then, however, Brazzell has been held scoreless and kept under 70 yards in two games.  

The star receiver is due for a 100+ yard performance this weekend. Tennessee’s Aguilar must prioritize his WR1 in this matchup, as the two veteran players dominate when they get into rhythm with each other. 

Florida’s DJ Lagway has been a disappointment this season. The sophomore quarterback began the season with the 10th best odds to win the Heisman Trophy according to ESPN but played himself out of that conversation in week three with a five-interception performance. As the leader of the Gators’ offense, Lagway has thrown 12 touchdowns and an SEC worst, 13 interceptions this year. With the 12th best completion percentage in the SEC (63.2) Lagway has shown all season that he folds under pressure and is more likely to throw the ball to the opposite team than to his teammates for scores. Tennessee must follow the blueprint laid out by Florida’s past opponents, making Lagway's night difficult and forcing him into turnovers. If the Vols can get the best of Lagway for even a few possessions, they will win this game.  

DeSean Bishop has emerged as the clear-cut RB1 of this Tennessee team. Despite having the 10th most carries in the SEC, Bishop ranks among the most efficient running backs in the conference, with 6.5 average yards per carry (SEC second best). The sophomore back has made significant contributions to the Volunteers offense all season, most notably recording big games against Arkansas (146 yds) and Alabama (123 yds,2 TDs). After a subpar performance against Oklahoma totaling just 38 yards on 12 carries, Bishop bounced back last weekend against New Mexico State with an 80-yard, 1 TD performance. On Saturday, Bishop clashes with a Florida defense that allows an SEC 4th worst 143.2 rushing yards per game. The stage is set for another productive game from the Vols running back.