Big Orange Report November 20, 2025

 

Happy Homecoming

Tennessee cruised to an easy 42-9 victory over New Mexico State on a post card perfect day for Homecoming in Knoxville. The Vols were able to re-ignite a running attack that has been sputtering and spinning its wheels as of late. The Big Orange ball carriers rushed for 195 yards to compliment the passing of Joey Aguilar and his talented receiving corps. Aguilar was intercepted twice but it must be noted that NMSU is among the national leaders in creating turnovers by the opponents this season.

The suspect Tennessee defense still remains questionable. The Aggies had too many yards throwing the ball against UT and the Vols could manage only three quarterback sacks against a patch work offensive line that played for NMSU.

Tennessee also had three front line starters leave the game with injuries but there was no report on the extend of the problems at this writing. Two mainstays on offense, senior guard Wendell Moe and tight end Miles Kitselman left after getting banged up and did not return to action.

The Curse of the Swamp

Tennessee travels to Florida this weekend seeking to achieve something that the Vols have not done in 23 years. The Volunteers have not defeated the Gators in Gainesville since 2003. Josh Heupel has been equally frustrated by The Curse; he has a record of 0-2 on the road at the home of the University of Florida. You can throw out the betting lines and the won-lost records in this one because in the past, Tennessee has been favored there only to come up short for 22 years now.

Some casual observers will comment that Florida has won only three games this season and should be easy pickins'. However, the Gators just took No. 7 Ole Miss to the wall last Saturday and Florida led the game going into the fourth quarter 24-20. A late Rebel score made the final somewhat of a mirage at 34-24.

A few of the younger Gators have matured and gained experience over the course of the schedule and are now playing at SEC levels. Wide receiver T.J. Abrams is one of those emerging stars. He is very fast, quick, elusive and had three receptions vs. Ole Miss for 76 yards, averaging 25 yards per catch.

This game is set to be televised on ABC network with the kickoff slated for 6:30 CST. The Vols have opened as a slight, 3.5 favorite on the early betting lines.

Key Matchups

Vol front seven on defense vs. D.J. Lagway and Jadan Baugh-- Lagway has not lived up to his pre-season hype but he is still a dangerous dual threat quarterback. Baugh is one of the more dynamic backs in the SEC who is among the top 10 rushers in the league and he is also a very good receiver out of the backfield. Tennessee defensive down linemen had better clog the middle from tackle to tackle and the edge rushers and linebackers must prevent these two Gators from reeling off big gains on the ground.

Tennessee offensive line vs. Florida pass rush-- The Gators front seven will present some problems for the Vol blockers because they are quick and athletic. Florida is not afraid to blitz and star linebacker Myles Graham on the inside had two tackles for loss and a sack vs. Ole Miss. He now has recorded five quarterback sacks this season. The hope here is that Wendell Moe will be back at guard for the Vols on Saturday evening.

Kicking Game-- Both teams feature reliable field goal kickers and punters. The Gators have an advantage in the return game. Freshman Vernell Brown is one of the most dangerous punt returners in the conference and he is also a top-notch pass catcher for Florida. Tennessee booted  punt return specialist Boo Carter off the team on Sunday and frankly, the Vols have done next to nothing on kickoff and punt returns this season.

Secret Weapon-- Junior tight end Ethan Davis could be the joker in the deck for the Vols, especially if Kitselman can't play. Davis is an athlete, strong and can catch the ball in the middle of the field. If Aguilar is under constant pressure, Davis could be a reliable safety valve for the Vol passer.

Watch for This-- As it is with many SEC showdowns, the game could very well be determined at the line of scrimmage. Establishing a consistent running attack will be an advantage for either team. Also, turnovers and penalties might be important factors in the eventual outcome.

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