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MEMPHIS — The coach of a football team favored by 28 points actually said Wednesday, with unwavering conviction, about his upcoming game: "Everybody knows this will be a four-quarter dogfight."
That usually is the story line of the annual Tennessee vs. Florida showdown because both teams are usually ranked, have SEC and national-title aspirations and understand this league opener helps the winner take a huge step toward the Eastern Division title.
Except for this season.
Florida is favored in Saturday's game by 28 points, and for almost as many reasons. The Gators (2-0) are the defending national champion, are ranked No. 1 and have the extra motivation of the fightin' words uttered months ago by new Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin. Also, Florida has the home-field advantage, and Tennessee has interception-prone quarterback Jonathan Crompton.
The last time the Vols (1-1) were this dramatic an underdog, late Tennessee coach Gen. Robert Neyland was probably a buck private.
"If you go off the past and what happened the last two years when we've lost by 63 points combined, I'm surprised (the betting line) is not higher," Kiffin said.
Which begs the question: Why did Kiffin antagonize the Gators with a couple of verbal darts during his first couple of months on the job?
At his introductory press conference, Kiffin said he was looking forward to some of Tennessee's great traditions, such as "singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida next year, it will be a blast."
He followed that by accusing Florida coach Urban Meyer of cheating when recruit Nu'Keese Richardson of Pahokee, Fla., decommitted from Florida and jumped to Tennessee. Kiffin apologized publicly to Meyer, but never privately.
Kiffin has spun his brashness as a master plan to get Tennessee national attention in recruiting.
Asked Wednesday if he thought his comments had put his team in a tough position heading into Saturday's game, he said, "It helped us dramatically in recruiting, signing a top 10 class nationally. I don't think it put our kids in a tough situation at all.
"They've won by more than 60 points over the last two years combined. There's motivation over there, and I don't think I motivated them. I wasn't here yet."
Still, Florida is quietly simmering. Kiffin's "singing Rocky Top" quote is plastered all over the Gators' dressing room. And even-keeled Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said through a thin smile earlier this week, "I don't like anybody talking (negatively) about coach Meyer."
Meyer is publicly taking the high road, calling Kiffin's fightin' words "water under the bridge." Of course, Meyer remembered two years ago when Georgia ran on the field to celebrate its first TD against Florida to start a 43-30 Gators' loss. Last season, the Gators beat the Bulldogs in a 39-point wipeout.
He didn't even mind calling timeout twice in the final minutes to let Georgia twist in the wind a bit longer.
Florida players have repeatedly been asked this week if Kiffin has them juiced to show no mercy. But they haven't uttered anything remotely inflammatory because they say it's not needed.
"We do our talking on the field," Florida receiver David Nelson said. "When they watch film they can see what kind of team we are, what kind of outfit we put out there on the field."
Tennessee junior safety Eric Berry, who scored one of the Vols' touchdowns in the 59-20 loss in Gainesville two years ago via a 96-yard interception return of a Tebow pass, said he understands why Kiffin said what he said.
"He said it to show us he had confidence in us, though I'm not the type to call people out," Berry said. "I didn't know we are that big of an underdog. But until we prove differently, I don't know why anyone would think of us any other way."
-- Ron Higgins: 529-2525
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Softball: Tennessee 2, Georgia 1
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 235
armyvol22 writes:
This again?
Joevolsxtra writes:
Maybe if we don't comment, this story will go away?
CRFVols writes:
Really? Do we have to keep hearing about this? Are we gonna beat this dead horse into a pulp? Who cares anymore? Those of us who are real football fans know that it doesn't matter once the ball is snapped. Let's play the game and see what happens.
Go Vols!
golfballs03 writes:
There are sports writers that are picking Florida to win 45-0. Do they think our defense is that bad???
Wilsonctyvol writes:
Maybe if play with as hard of an effort as some of these second class writers want to keep the dribble alive then we will probably win this game with 45 points in our favor.....the only thing the writers are fueling is their own quotas because they have nothing else.
bugman (Inactive) writes:
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jakethevolguy writes:
I'm with Berry. Kiffin's comment wasn't about Florida, it was about Tennessee. If you are trying to change the mindset of the Team you don't say we're going to sing Rocky Top all night after we beat the Dores or the Wildcats. You aim a little higher and go after the big dog, or gator in this case. GBO!!!
PennVol writes:
In response to this article's title, how could anyone forget when we see/hear/read about it 24/7?
volquest11 writes:
Isn't the legend true that Neyland "called out" the Germans by saying their schnitzel was bland only months before their pilots screamed "Toga, toga, toga" over the Pacific skys? (see QB quandry comments) Remember who eventually won that game. So we have that going for us, which is nice.
CRFVols writes:
AND....I dunno about ya'll.....but I'll be singing Rocky Top no matter what happens!
kevin151 writes:
I can't wait till this game is over, I'm ready to move on already
panties4tebow writes:
Get over it KNS, you are nothing but TRASH and you don't fill up my garbage can nor are you good for recycle----just down right TRASH!!!!!!!
Chomp writes:
Some of you want this story to go away, not us down here in Florida. We want our fans and players to think about the arrogance of Lane Kiffin. Steve Spurrier was a rookie when it comes to arrogance compared to Kiffin!
HighlandVol writes:
...and I was wondering what a broken record sounded like.
jwill33 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
VOL03_NC writes:
Every team has its down years. Florida is no exception. It appears time will be on the VOLS side. Give it time, Tebow will be in the NFL and Tennessee will soon be on top of the SEC!
beef4davols writes:
What irritates me is the way these writers and espn keep running these quotes like he just recently said it...It's been like 8 months!!!
TDTenn writes:
Meyer will have his day when he gets that ars blown out.
TommyJack writes:
Well, I guess they have to fill the pages with something.
CRFVols writes:
Word has it, Tebow already did that for him.
99gator writes:
i'm not sure you are going to want to talk about the defenses, the offensive line, special teams, or the coaches either.
really, really don't want to talk about qb.
there are two subjects that y'all will find enjoyable this week.
1. memories of tennessee beating florida from a previous year.
2. thinking about what you would actually do if tennessee pulled off the minor miracle.
VOL03_NC writes:
Commenting on this article is like "Feeding the Trolls".
StroVol writes:
Im sure the Florida band and student body will be ready to play Rockytop for Kiffin after game.
You know they're cooking something up. I do hope we play turnover free football and scare the he.l out of them Saturday. It's still my favorite match up.
rusty_shackleford writes:
Meyer has the thinnest skin in football. He proved that by called timeouts v. UGA last year. UGA was just having a little fun the year before and it was obvious that Meyer didn't have a clue how to respond. A mature person would have laughed, called the ref over and said "when they're through with their Boogie Nights imitation, let me know and we'll keep playing. But instead, Meyer freaked and called his team into a big huddle. Moreover, any thinking person understands what is said at an alumni event is for the home crowd.
While the Vol fans hated little stevie superior during his days at UF, most of what he said was tongue-in-cheek and all in fun. The coaches understood it, even if the fans did not.
Meyer needs to get over himself! Tebow and the other seniors will be gone soon. Then we'll see what kind of coach he is.
Razzle writes:
S.s.d.d.
Waldorf writes:
What the media always forgets to tell you was Kiffin's next comment -
"I'm just kidding Urban, Mike told me to say that."
Not that I am surprised that any sports writer woudl forget that. They don't care about facts, only distorting them to make a story.
tennesseebee writes:
I'd rather die fighting than bleed a humble coward. Phil Fulmer was classy and didn't engage in that baloney. But he let a lot of stuff slide that I wish he had responded to. It's a little refreshing to have someone with a bit of a swagger. I think gator fans can only be let down because I don't beleive you can satisfactorily put the beatdown that will quell your snappy appetite. Put up 100-if you can! OH, MY!
CB4VOLZ writes:
AMEN!!!!!!!
Razzle writes:
Yawns.
TommyJack writes:
Pretty good summation. As I've said, they're the worst champions in memory.
StroVol writes:
No sh.t! It never gets mentioned, although it's part of the quote. It's not like he said it a day later. It was part of the quip. Most Tenn fans were saying right that'll happen. stupid
RTB writes:
To CBS, Vern Lundquist and Todd Blackledge -- I know from your previous broadcasts of Tennessee games that you read these blogs prior to the games. Please do not disrespect Tennessee this year during the broadcast of our games. Don't get taken in by the insidious interlopers posing here as Tennessee fans, posting on the Tennessee Fan web site and writing provocative trash. They are who they are. But they are not us, the Tennessee fans. And I know you can tell the difference.
Volunteerfan writes:
Are you guys as tired as I am about hearing this junk over and over? Two observations I want to note:
1. Lane Kiffin was not shooting one across the bow of Florida's ship when he made that comment. I think anybody with any intelligence (which leaves out the media because they are the ones playing this like it was a personal shot) knows he was saying this to get Tennessee and it's beloved fans motivated. In my opinion he was not saying this to stir up a hornet's nest like so many people believe he was trying to do.
2. I am tired of people saying they are going to run up the score on us or even beat us by 45 - 50 points. They are not playing College of Charelston or even Troy. Though our offense is struggling right now, our defense is pretty solid. Not to mention we have a defensive mastermind at the helm. I am a realist so I know our boys would have to play the game of their lives to have a chance at winning this game, but to say we are going to get blown out is plain idiotic.
Razzle writes:
Do it and then talk about it.
RKYTPTN writes:
After this saturday , I think the whole country is gonna realize how overated this Florida team really is.
AFVol423 writes:
You have got to be kidding me. Someone let you spend time and ink on this again? Everyone knows that it was bravado and not likely to happen. Everyone knows that the Vols are big underdogs. Write something new or go be a wall mart greeter.
CrankE writes:
Presumably, if Lane Kiffin were nice to Florida, Tebow, and Meyer that they'd only beat Tennessee 10-3. That's the inescapable end of the logic offered up by such Serious and Important Sports Commentators like Higgins et al.
I can't think of anyone in the last 20 years-in victory or defeat who has shown UT less class and respect than the Florida Gators. So it's really rich of Florida-of all teams to feign injury and insult when Kiffin happens to tweak their nose.
Whatever. Try to eclipse John Heisman's 222-0 rout, ...if you can. Show us your true colors, Timmy. Score your touchdowns, taunt us, and then go hide behind your mission work, your circumcisions, and your Bible. Serve it up.
crimsonviper writes:
Obviously they are just picking up whatever fill stories they can.Just filling pages until it is time for this week's epic John Adams Gator,Tebow,meyer literary lovefest.I just can't wait!
Razzle writes:
Wonder how many blimps you could fill up with all of this Florida hot air?
volsfannsc writes:
Here we go again. Another sports writer digging up Grandma from her plot for one more Thanksgiving dinner. I really hope that our journalism department at UT does not teach students "if there's nothing good to write, go back a half of year and re-write an old story with no new twists." Seriously, is there nothing else to report on? I'm even surprised at myself for commenting again about the same thing. I should have allowed myself to doze off on paragraph two but my morning coffee and adrenaline kept me going. I have work to do in order to pay bills so I must log off now. Small wonder that anyone actually pays journalists for an article that was written months ago, at least a hundred times over. Maybe I'm in the wrong job field!
BigOrangeVol writes:
I hear that the Gator band and their students have put out the word that they are going to play/sing Rocky Top every time Florida scores Saturday just to rub Kiffin's nose in it. What a classy bunch!
Razzle writes:
Gainesville is the hot air swamp gas capitol of America and has been for years. LMFAO
99gator writes:
ok, put yourself in KNS' shoes this week.
what do you write about?
what is there to discuss regarding this matchup that is going to positive for tennessee?
what is there to write about regarding this matchup that will be something a tennessee fan is going to be happy to read?
it ain't good when the majority of people believe it would be a positive thing if tennessee lost 34-13.....and plenty of people are saying it and will spin it that way if 34-13 happens. see, we didn't get killed. if our team was good, we would have won because it isn't good and we didn't get killed.
the goal at tennessee isn't to win, it's not to get blown out. how is the KNS going to be able to make people happy under those circumstances?
i know what i would be writing about, but then you would say john adams is piling on.
i would write an article about how fulmer has left tennessee in this position.
and i stand by an earlier predicition, that people will get more angry with fulmer as the season unfolds.
GahLee writes:
ESPN is really pouring fuel on the fire, as always.
Hardrocknox writes:
well if a 16 year old cheerleader can kill a gator , we have a pretty good chance .
VolunteerLifer writes:
If you looked up the words "arrogance" and "jerk" in the dictionary, Spurrier's picture would be there.
Paybacks are coming to the florida gators for spurrier's arrogance once Kiffin gets settled in at Tennessee. In the years to come, we will watch the gators get their mouths smashed and their noses bloodied by the Tennessee Volunteers.
F*** the forida gators!!!
Go Volunteers!!!
chargervol writes:
Ah! Let's not hurt notruthking's feelings, he will cry to lil' timmy, lil' timmy tevo will cry to urvin cryer, urvin cryer will cry to slimey slive, slimey slive will cry to espn, espn will cry in front of the nation. This is not what we wanted when we signed the big package with the SEC. The gators are gonna eventually toughen their hides, they are losing their team in a few months. They have thin skin and they're on top of the cycle, now. How bad will it be when georgia, Vols, commodores, dama, lsu and other SEC teams give them some of that old run up the score phooey they like to talk about. They will be the laughing stock of the college football world. Lil' timmy tevo and urvan cryer will leave fladuh and the program will get cleaned up a little bit. Corrine Brown: go tevo, go urvin, go gatuz. What an intellectual the state of florida and the university of flahdah have in Corrine Brown. What a dumb arse! Can florida not get anything smarter than that to represent their state? She is an embarrassment to florida and the United States of America. GO VOLS!!!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
You would think Higgins would be trumpeting the great season his University of Memphuss is having istead of worrying about a game 6-700 miles away.
Must be a troll mentality.
Lurking under a bridge with warts might due that to one.
99gator writes:
i will take a 4 td bet right now. i don't know how a wager can be set up, but i'll take you up on it.
look at the defense up the middle for tennessee.
williams, brown (no knees), hughes (freshman), reviez (walk on mlb).
the faith in the defense is as misplaced as the faith in offense was before ucla.
chargervol writes:
UhOh! The NAACP, ACLU and the FBI is knocking on my door!lol! The ACLU is concerned about a pre-game prayer they had in Gate City,VA.. Sullivan South and Gate City held a pregame prayer for the safety of the players and remembrance of the fallen Sullivan South player. Yet, obama can give a speech in a high school auditorium and at the end of the speech say God bless you and God bless America. Where is the ACLU on that one? Double standard would you not say? Anywho, the Vols have a chance. The last time I checked the scoreboard it was tied 0-0. We're hanging close so far. GO VOLS!!!
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