Take Five Breakdown: Annual rivalry coming to an end

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• Take Five: The Next Steps
• Take Five: The Napier Era Ends

The Florida Gators (3-7, 2-5 SEC) return home to face the No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers (7-3, 3-3 SEC) on Saturday. The Gators haven’t lost to the Volunteers at home since 2003. To learn about Florida’s opponent, Inside the Gators spoke with Caleb Sisk, writer for the Tennessee Volunteers on SI.

Five Tennessee Volunteers to Know

Joey Aguilar, Quarterback, Graduate

• Aguilar is well-traveled in his college career. He was at Diablo Valley Community College for two seasons, then transferred to Appalachian State, where he was for the last two years. He was enrolled at UCLA last winter but swapped places with quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who had a tumultuous exit from the Tennessee program. Aguilar leads the SEC in passing yards and touchdowns. The Volunteers’ offense has been explosive; however, Aguilar struggles with turnovers. The sixth-year quarterback has been picked off 10 times this season, including four times in the last two games. “He’s definitely not been the QB he was weeks prior,” said Sisk. “The last two games, he’s really had an interception problem. It’s been a consistent trend with him in his career. He makes a lot of great throws, but sometimes there’s some issues that come with it. If he turns it on, he’s a difference maker.”

Chris Brazzell, Wide Receiver, Redshirt Junior

• Brazzell headlines a receiving trio that all have 650 receiving yards or more. His 873 yards rank first in the SEC and 10th nationally. He’s also reeled in eight touchdowns. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Brazzell is a tough matchup for most defenses. “These bigger guys typically run a bit slower, that’s not the case with Brazzell,” says Sisk. “You know he’s going to be targeted deep at some point. He uses his size to his advantage. He’s not a guy you can easily press because of his muscle mass.”

Braylon Staley, Wide Receiver, Redshirt Freshman

• Tennessee gets elite production out of the slot from Staley. He’s scored six touchdowns and ranks fifth in the SEC with 761 receiving yards. “He started to come along on the later part of last season,” said Sisk on the former four-star. “He’s been on fire, definitely the most improved player from throughout the season. Out of the slot he is a nightmare.”

DeSean Bishop, Running Back, Redshirt Sophomore

• The Volunteers’ offense is headlined by their potent pass game, but they also have a reliable ground attack, ranking seventh in the conference. Bishop leads the way with 770 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. “Each week he gets more and more patient,” says Sisk. “He has better vision this year compared to last year. A very quick cutting, reliable running back.”

Dominic Bailey, Defensive Line, Redshirt Senior

• Bailey has 7.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks, both team leads. Bailey headlines the defensive line in his sixth season with Tennessee. “One of the older guys on the team, he brings experience,” said Sisk. “A guy that you point to as an example in this room. He sets the bar high, and the other guys look to meet that bar. [There’s] not a deeper room for Tennessee than the defensive line.”

Five Fast Facts

• No. 20 Tennessee is Florida’s seventh top-25 opponent.
• The Gators have won their last three home games against ranked opponents.
• It’s the third consecutive year that Florida’s game with Tennessee is played at night.
• Since 2018, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel ranks sixth in the FBS in wins.
• Florida interim head coaches are 14-12 all-time.

Five Game Day Storylines

Rivalry Series

• Florida and Tennessee meet for the 55th time. The Gators lead the all-time series 32-22, including wins in 17 of the last 20 meetings. In 2024, the Volunteers won 23-17 at home. Florida starting quarterback Graham Mertz exited the game in the third quarter after tearing his ACL on a touchdown pass. The Gators have won the last 10 meetings at home. “A win in The Swamp for the Volunteers would mean everything,” said Sisk. “They’d feel the weight taken off their back. Most of these players weren’t even born [in 2003]. At this point, they’re out of the playoff race. This is something to play for.”

Volunteers and Rushing Quarterbacks

• Tennessee has had problems with containing dual-threat quarterbacks. Oklahoma’s John Mateer ran for 80 yards and a touchdown. Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and Arkansas’ Taylen Green each found success on the ground. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway has run for 28 yards per game over his last three outings. “It’s something I’d look to see if they could stop,” says Sisk. “You never know if they can stop a rushing quarterback.”

Banks Back

• Preseason All-SEC defensive tackle Caleb Banks returns from injury for the Gators. The redshirt senior missed the first two games due to a foot injury. He made his season debut against LSU on Sept. 13, but reaggravated the injury. The Tennessee game will be Banks’ first game since the loss to the Tigers.

Tennessee Defense

• The Volunteers’ defense has been polarizing in 2025. They allow the third most yards in the SEC and have given up the most passing yards. That said, they lead all Power Four teams in defensive touchdowns with six and have the fourth most sacks in the conference. “The ability to get to the quarterback has shined,” said Sisk. “Other struggles have mellowed out the defense.”

End of an Era

• Florida won’t play Tennessee in 2026 for the first time since 1989. In September, the Southeastern Conference announced annual rivals for each team. Florida will face Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky annually through 2029. The Gators will play the Volunteers again in 2027.

Score Prediction

• Williams: 27-24 UF
• Sisk: 27-24 UF

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