University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Focused On Business, Not Talk
September 21, 2015 | Football
By Brian Rice
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
While those words make the collective hair of the back of Big Orange Country's neck stand straight up, it cannot take on a bigger meaning for Butch Jones and the Volunteers as they prepare.
The Volunteers are focused on the challenges the Gators present, not the rivalry that has defined the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference since the league split into divisions in 1992.
"This game is important because it's the next game," Jones said, echoing a familiar refrain when asked to measure the meaning of the matchup. "Does this game mean a lot to a lot of individuals? Absolutely. But again, everything is about our preparation. Everything is about our approach."
Like Florida, Tennessee has had three games to prepare for the meeting. Unlike the Gators, the Volunteers have had three non-conference tests, one against a ranked opponent, ahead of the trip to Gainesville.
"It gives us experience," quarterback Joshua Dobbs said. "It's great for the freshmen to go out and get experience playing against other teams and compete. Then when we get to SEC play, they're ready to go."
The Gators had home wins over New Mexico State and East Carolina prior to opening SEC play with a win at Kentucky last weekend.
For Tennessee, it will also be the first true road game of the season. The mentality needed for the test in a hostile environment was partially forged with the season opener in Nashville. Though the crowd was friendlier than what will greet the Vols in the Swamp, the organization and preparation that goes into playing a game away from home was an important lesson for a young UT team.
"It's a business trip," Dobbs said. "I think they got a little sense of that when we went to Nashville for our first game. Obviously, Florida is a whole different animal. We have to go do there locked in and ready to get the win, play hard, play string and come home with a victory."
While people outside the program can point to Florida's recent edge in the series, Tennessee is focused on this team facing this opponent this season. It is a message made easier by the small number of players that were even on the roster that last time the Vols played in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
"Only 12 individuals on our (travel) roster went to Florida," Jones said of the 2013 meeting. "What matters is our preparation and becoming a better football team. The challenge that lies ahead of us is playing a really talented football team that is 3-0. All we can control is our work ethic, our mindset, our improvement, our preparation and the go execute on Saturday."
Cameron Sutton knows all about the rivalry and the history. He knows what is at stake against a conference opponent with the goals the program has set for the season. But like his team, he is approaching the game with the same even-keeled mindset with which he approaches every game.
"I feel like it's another opportunity to play football," Sutton said. "Regardless of the opponent, the rivalry, the conference game, it's another opportunity to play football. You can't take anything for granted, so you have to play every game the same way."
