KNOXVILLE – Three times during its 11-year losing streak to Florida has Tennessee held a fourth-quarter lead and lost by one point to the rival Gators.
The most demoralizing of those defeats came last season, when the Volunteers slumped off the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with the utter disbelief and dejection of blowing a 27-14 lead in a 28-27 loss written clearly on their faces.
Saturday presents an opportunity to create pleasant memories for Tennessee’s players.
“Everybody knows how they felt after that game,” defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie said Tuesday. “We know what that feeling felt like, and nobody wants to have that feeling again. It’s another week of being 1-0 this week. We’ve been preaching we’re now 0-0. Guys are just getting ready to go and getting ready to get after Florida.”
The memory of the loss to the Gators and the other narrow defeats from last season served as motivation for the Vols throughout the offseason, but after three underwhelming performances Tennessee is focused more on righting its own ship than pointing to past experiences as motivation this week.
The struggles of the first three games will fade quickly from memory, though, if Tennessee opens conference play with a long-awaited triumph against its primary SEC East nemesis.
“Everybody knows the improvements we have to make,” McKenzie said. “It’s pretty apparent we have to be better to beat the teams that we have to play this season. It’s good that we’re 3-0 right now and everybody’s happy about that and all that type of stuff, but we’ve got to work to be 1-0 this week.
“We have a completely different opponent this week. They can do a lot of things offensively and defensively, so we’re just working to be 1-0 this week. After last week we’re 0-0. It’s a brand-new season. SEC play is starting now.
“That’s why all of us came here. That’s why all those young guys came here that wanted to be part of the SEC. Now they’re going to play some SEC football.”
Throughout the offseason, whether it was on Twitter or at SEC media days, there has been a stream of trash talk from multiple Florida players, but McKenzie said none of those comments have been blown up and posted around Tennessee’s complex.
“It’s just something they can do and try to do whatever they want to do with all those things,” McKenzie said. “They’re not posted anywhere or anything like that. We all know what they have to say. Come Saturday, it’s just about that action.”
Welcoming pressure
The absences of cornerback Cameron Sutton and linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. leave the Vols shorthanded at two of the defense’s three levels, but the defensive linemen say they’re ready to pick up the slack.
“That’s been a goal since day one since we stepped in camp, being a D-line-led team,” defensive tackle Kendal Vickers said. “We want all the pressure on us. We’re accepting it. That’s what we want to do for these games and for the rest of the season.”
Healing Hall
Offensive tackle Chance Hall returned to practice this week, a month and a couple of days after undering knee surgery during preseason training camp.
Coach Butch Jones said Monday he’d know more about the sophomore’s chances of potentially playing against Florida after the first two practices of the week, but Hall’s teammates liked how he looked Monday.
“It was good to have him back,” quarterback Josh Dobbs said. “He’s a big part of that O-line room. He did a lot of for us last year, and I know it’s great to have him back on the field. The O-line feels the same way as well. He’ll be a great addition and he’ll continue working.
“He’s been working his butt off to get back with rehab, and I know he’s glad to be back out on the field.”
‘GameDay’ guide
ESPN’s “College GameDay” will telecast live from the location of Tennessee’s game for the second time in three weeks.
After airing from outside Bristol Motor Speedway 11 days ago, the popular 9 a.m.-noon Saturday program will be live in front of iconic Ayres Hall on “the Hill” on Tennessee’s campus.
The Vols haven’t done well when “GameDay” has been in town, winning just one time in the show’s six visits for SEC games and none of its four trips to Knoxville for the Florida game, including its most recent visit to Tennessee’s campus in 2012.
Tennessee’s most recent win with “GameDay” in town was against Notre Dame in 1999, and its lone SEC victory with the show in Knoxville was against Georgia in 1995.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.