The hype surrounding the Tennessee and Florida game this past week said that the rivalry was just not the same as it was back during the mid-90s. Both teams’ first two games showed that they had really fallen from grace since that time. For Tennessee, going through three head coaches in three seasons has left the program desperate for stability. The Lane Kiffin situation only added insult to injury and left the players feeling as if they could not trust anyone. Derek Dooley then became the next coach for the Vols, vowing to earn his players’ trust.

Unfortunately for Dooley, his team would be starting an inexperienced offensive line, quarterback and would also have to find a replacement for defensive standout Eric Berry.

The inexperience became apparent in Tennessee’s game against the Oregon Ducks, as the Pac-10 powerhouse overpowered the Vols and shutout Tennessee’s offense in the second half.

Losing Tim Tebow was worse than just losing a starting quarterback. Florida lost their top leader and possibly the best college football player in NCAA history. Add the fact that Florida would also be replacing their starting center, receivers and several positions on defense, and suddenly they have a lot of questions too.

In their first game against Miami (OH), the center had several fumbled snaps, sometimes missing quarterback John Brantley completely out of the shotgun formation.

This didn’t happen just once or twice, it happened several times throughout that game. The Gators also didn’t find any real offense until the second half. They simply played uninspired offense.

Both of these teams finally met on Saturday, and the majority of fans and media agreed that Florida would be the favorite. Surprisingly, it was Tennessee that struck first after a field goal that gave the Vols a 3-0 lead over the Gators.

The lead would not stay long, however, as the Gators eventually just wore out Tennessee’s defense and took control of the game in the second half. Making things worse for the Vols, their offense did not play that well for the most part.

Even though both of Tennessee’s touchdowns came off big passing plays, they just kept putting themselves in tough situations.

Even though Tennessee lost this game, the team benefited from this loss. Dooley accused his team of quitting in the second half against Oregon the previous week and challenged his players to keep fighting until the final whistle against Florida.

His players responded and stepped up to that challenge. They never quit and their determination brought them close to tying the game in the fourth quarter.

That attitude showed that Tennessee took a step in the right direction. They are now a step closer to reviving the program.

Sure that attitude may not make that much of a difference on the field this year, but just wait until these young players develop and get more experience in the SEC.

When these players have grown physically, mentally and more comfortable in the system, they will have the tools to play for the SEC Championship and even the National Championship.

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