GAINESVILLE — Forget the "one game at a time" coach speak.
No. 19 Florida and No. 14 Tennessee have been jawing back and forth all offseason about a rivalry that has turned one-sided before renewing Saturday in a nationally-televised showdown with long-lasting SEC East implications.
"Oh, it means everything," Gators defensive back Quincy Wilson said. "We can't give up that streak."
That 11-year UF win streak over the Volunteers has been the source of countless social-media slams that have been filling bulletin boards in Knoxville and Gainesville since the spring.
UF's all-SEC cornerback, Jalen Tabor, boasted about extending the streak to 12 in a row. Quarterback Luke Del Rio pinned an ESPN tweet projecting the Vols (3-0) to win the division. Linebacker Jarrad Davis said at SEC media days that he loves playing Tennessee because the Gators (3-0) always win. And this week, Wilson guaranteed a UF victory with a bizarre metaphor about a duck's inability to pull a truck.
"He'd better go back it up, I guess, whatever he said," UF coach Jim McElwain said.
Wilson and the rest of the Gators have had no trouble doing that recently.
Since the streak began with a 16-7 win in 2005, UF has outrushed Tennessee by more than 1,100 yards. The Gators have 18 more successful third downs and converted 9 percent more often. They're even 12-of-18 on fourth down, including 5-for-5 in a 28-27 comeback win last year that still stings the Vols.
"We don't have to re-remind …" Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. "They understand what happened."
What happened last year is the same as what has happened during the rest of the streak. Over those 11 consecutive wins, UF has more than doubled Tennessee's scoring in the second half (187-92). That includes a 41-point advantage in the fourth quarter, which is why the Vols' leads have disintegrated.
The other telling stat has been turnovers. The Gators are plus-13 in the streak and seem positioned to boost that. Tennessee has fumbled 11 times this year while losing only one — a stroke of luck that could turn at a packed Neyland Stadium after a visit from ESPN's College GameDay.
But the Vols (and oddsmakers) believe Tennessee is due for a win. While UF is expected to be without starting quarterback Luke Del Rio (knee), the Vols have Joshua Dobbs, a veteran of 25 career starts. Tennessee's talent isn't an issue; Jones' last three recruiting classes averaged a No. 8 national ranking.
The Gators interpreted the optimism 500 miles up I-75 as a slight against UF — the reigning division champion.
"All summer you've been hearing about Tennessee and stuff like that," safety Marcus Maye said. "You know, social media wars and all that kind of stuff."
Naturally, all of that stuff continued this week as the hype swelled. UF receiver Ahmad Fulwood said the rivalry is intense because of "them thinking they can beat us."
And why is that outlandish?
"Because they haven't done it recently," Fulwood said.
When Davis was asked this week about his earlier comments about always beating the Vols, he stood by them. He did not, however, want to say anything else to inflame an already fierce rivalry.
"I'm not really going to go out and try to stir up any more drama," Davis said.
No need. Eleven years of dominance and eight months of digs are more than enough.
Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com. Follow @MBakerTBTimes.
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