KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Fans are encouraged to arrive early for Tennessee’s game against Florida on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Neyland Stadium as members of the 1998 National Championship team will be honored as “Legends of the Game” approximately 22 minutes before kickoff.
Tennessee is honoring the 1998 team all weekend on the 20th anniversary of its historic undefeated season.
In addition to pregame recognition for several players, the entire 1998 team and staff will be recognized on the field at the end of the first quarter.
Vols Excited to Play Gators
Tennessee welcomes Florida to Neyland Stadium for the 48th meeting all-time between the SEC East Division rivals.
The Gators’ last trip to Shield-Watkins Field ended with the Vols erasing a 21-0 deficit en route to an exciting 38-28 victory in 2016. Florida answered back last season, however, defeating the Vols, 26-20, on a Hail Mary touchdown with no time remaining.
The last four games in the series have come down to the final minutes.
“It means a lot,” redshirt junior linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. said. “It has been a long rivalry. It has been here long before I got here, longer than our whole team has been here. Looking forward to this rivalry is fun, especially for our fans. We are looking forward to a big, electric game on Saturday.”
The Tennessee-Florida rivalry often times decided the SEC East Division champions and typically had national championship implications throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
For players who didn’t grow up in the Volunteer State or Sunshine State, the game still resonates as a premier national rivalry between two of college football’s brand-name schools.
Junior tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson said he remembers watching the game on Saturdays in California.
“This is a huge game,” Wood-Anderson said. “Not just for us, but for the fan base as well. We are all amped up. Not just because it is Florida, but because it is the first SEC game at home. Our fans will get to watch us go to battle.”
While neither team is ranked in the Top 25 heading into Saturday’s clash, the game still holds great significance as both teams enter with a 2-1 mark. The Vols want to jump out to great start in SEC play in their conference opener under first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
Pruitt, who grew up deep in SEC Country in Rainsville, Ala., knows the rivalry well. He said playing in games of this magnitude is a major part of the reason he took the Tennessee job.
“When I was growing up, it was always the first big SEC game of the year,” Pruitt said. “I always loved to watch it – always a lot of passion with both fan bases, a lot of tradition. I’m thankful to have the chance to be a part of it.”
Player Quotes – Sept. 18, 2018
Tennessee Senior DL Shy Tuttle
On what stands out about the Florida rivalry:
“This is my fourth year and every game we have played against them (Florida) has come down to the last play and it’s been a hard fight to the end.”
On how good the defensive has been the past two weeks:
“We just try to minimize our mistake and execute on every play and take it just one snap at a time with everyone doing their responsibility.”
On the development of Emmit Gooden:
“He is more and more comfortable each week. He is preparing better in practice and the coaches are on him harder.”
On the unit overall since West Virginia:
“We are trying to minimize our mistakes and we still have a few bumps in the road, but this week will present a good challenge and we’re excited.”
Tennessee Redshirt Junior LB Darrin Kirkland Jr.
On what the Florida rivalry means to him:
“It means a lot. It has been a long rivalry. It has been here long before I got here, longer than our whole team has been here. Looking forward to this rivalry is fun, especially for our fans. We are looking forward to a big, electric game on Saturday.”
On if this game is a test for the team:
“It is the start of SEC play so we are all excited to get back out there against the competition and the guys in our league. We are looking forward to a big stage on Saturday.”
On what’s the biggest key to a victory on Saturday:
“We just have to be together as a team. Everything that we do has to be about us. I want to give credit to Florida, they are a great team coming in here. We are excited. We look forward to a win as a unit.”
On Coach Pruitt’s reaction to the shutout vs. UTEP:
“It wasn’t necessarily like we weren’t good enough. There are always things that we can correct and do better. He was excited on how we played overall, but there are definitely some corrections that we need to make sure we fix before we start SEC play.”
On the defense’s reaction to Coach Pruitt’s saying that the defense needs more takeaways:
“Motivated. We always want to force turnovers. It is a big part of our defense. It is one of our goals every game. We didn’t meet that goal. Nothing is perfect. We have to keep improving as a defense to be successful.”
Tennessee Redshirt Junior TE Dominick Wood-Anderson
On what he has been told about Florida week:
“This is a huge game. Not just for us, but for the fan base as well. We are all amped up. Not just because it is Florida, but because it is the first SEC game at home. Our fans will get to watch us go to battle.”
On games like this being a reason he came to Tennessee:
“Definitely. Especially this being a SEC game. I am from California, so they take the PAC 12 serious, but I think the south takes football more serious. I even watched Florida versus Tennessee growing up in California.”
On the difference in the atmosphere around campus surrounding this week:
“There has definitely been a change. As soon as we walked in here on Monday we got straight to it. UTEP is in the past, let’s get straight to Florida. That was communicated through the coaches, the students and the players.”
On Jarrett Guarantano becoming more of a leader:
“He has really stepped up and played that role. He has been doing a good job. It started week one. Him being the QB, the coaches wanted him to be more vocal. He has really bought into that and he has led us vocally.”
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