Former Vols defensive lineman makes strong statement about what kind of crowd Tennessee will face in the Swamp against Florida

The Tennessee Vols will head to Gainesville this weekend for a matchup against the Florida Gators that will look a little different than the usual meetings between these two programs.

For starters, the game is being played in late November instead of the middle of September.

Secondly, the Gators are 3-7, which means they can't become bowl eligible this season (Tennessee hasn't played a Florida team that was guaranteed to finish with fewer than six wins since 1953).

Despite Florida's down year, the expectation is that Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will be rocking on Saturday night.

Former Vols defensive lineman makes strong statement about what kind of crowd Tennessee will face in the Swamp against Florida

Former Vols defensive lineman Marlon Walls, who played at Tennessee from 2009 to 2013, appeared on The Sports Source this week and he noted that he expects Florida fans to "reward" the Gators for their strong performance against the Ole Miss Rebels last weekend (Florida lost 34-24 to Ole Miss in Oxford last Saturday).

"I think that crowd's going to reward them [for] the way they played last week," said Walls. "Them coming back home, I think the crowd's going to reward them -- meaning the momentum is going to be there. It's still Florida versus Tennessee. To a lot of people in the stands, that means a lot. The players, they know that rivalry. They know that Tennessee hasn't come in there and won in 10 [straight games]. And [Florida] just took Ole Miss to the ropes almost. So, I think they're going to be motivated."

Former Vols defensive lineman Daniel Hood, who also played at Tennessee from 2009 to 2013, agreed with Walls that Florida will be motivated on Saturday night.

"I think that this is still one of those games that there's just so much pride for Florida," said Hood. "I almost feel like they're going to have more motivation to come out and play that game strong, even though there's not a bowl game or anything else [on the line]....I think they're going to be motivated and ready to play."

Records go out the window when these two programs get together. It should be an intense four quarter matchup between the Vols and the Gators on Saturday night in the Swamp.

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Nashville section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.