Number 11 Tennessee and number 20 Florida will battle on Saturday, September 24 in a pivotal SEC East rivalry. The game will be streamed live on Paramount+ (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial), and fuboTV (free trial).
Coach Josh Heupel quickly learned what playing in Florida really means for Tennessee.
“Probably 30 seconds after I got to campus,” the Tennessee sophomore coach said. “This is one of the ball games that this fan base and our players are pointing to.”
This hasn’t really been a rivalry for the past two decades, not with Florida winning five in a row and 16 of the last 17.
Number 11 Tennessee (3-0) feels much more confident as a double-digit favorite looking to get off to his best start since 2016 with fans painting a sold-out Neyland Stadium an orange-and-white checkerboard for the Vols’ Southeastern Conference opener.
This will be the third team in the AP’s Top 20 to face the 20th-ranked Gators (2-1, 0-1) in opening month, the toughest start in the Bowl Subdivision. The Gators are just above South Carolina at the bottom of the SEC East after holding off South Florida 31-28 in the swamp last week.
When is the Tennessee-Florida game?
The Tennessee v Florida game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. ET) on Saturday, September 24.
Will it be streamed live?
Paramount+
Paramount+, which offers a 7-day free trial, featuring more than 20,000 episodes and movies from the ViacomCBS family, including CBS, Comedy Central, BET, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and more.
The streaming service has two levels. For $4.99 per month you get limited commercials. For $9.99 a month, there are no commercials. Both tiers come with the 7-day free trial.
Direct TV Stream
DirecTV Stream offers a free trial.
There are four options for DirecTV Stream:
The entertainment package, which consists of 65+ channels, costs $54.99 until the promotion ends on April 30. It’s the basic package for unmissable entertainment – including ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon and HGTV.
The Choice Package has over 90 channels and costs $74.99 during the promotion. The channels in ENTERTAINMENT, plus MLB Network, NBA TV, college sports networks and more. Enjoy regional sports networks at no extra cost.
The ultimate package has over 130 channels and costs $89.99 during the promotion. Everything in CHOICE, plus Oxygen, Golf Channel, NHL Network, Universal Kids and more.
The Premier package has over 140 channels and costs $134.99 during the promotion. Everything in ULTIMATE, plus HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax and more.
DirecTV Stream offers a free trial that doesn’t require much effort.
To sign up, enter a phone number, email, and credit card, and you’ll receive five days of free service.
In addition, enhance your experience with the DirecTV Stream device. While it doesn’t include a free trial, it gives you access to thousands of apps like Netflix and more on Google Play. You can search using the voice remote control with Google Assistant and you can enjoy a traditional live TV channel guide. It is sold separately.
FuboTV
The game will be streamed live on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. The most basic plan is the “fubo standard” package, which includes over 121 channels for $69.99 per month. Like all cord cutting alternatives, there are plenty of options, especially for sports. It comes with over 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR and up to 10 screens simultaneously.
Which TV channel is broadcasting the game?
The Tennessee-Alabama match airs on CBS.
Example
EXPERIENCES QB: A year ago, quarterback Hendon Hooker made his second consecutive start for Tennessee after replacing an injured Joe Milton in a 38-14 loss to Florida. Hooker rated that performance a D, and he’s still looking for more this season.
“I haven’t played to my standards yet, but we’ve won ball games and that’s the overall end story I’m looking for, are we winning?” said Hooker. “It doesn’t matter how I play or how anyone else plays if we win.”
CHANGED PLANS: While Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson was still looking for his first TD pass of the season, coaches decided to do something to get him and his receivers on the same page. Richardson and his host corps watched last week’s game together and broke down Vols’ movie together.
“Just trying to understand what can help us in different matings and things like that,” Richardson said. “So we’re going to try a new philosophy this week and see how it goes.”
Richardson rushed for 106 yards in the season opening win over No. 7 Utah. In two games since then, he had 30 net yards.
FAMILY TIES: Florida freshman coach Billy Napier was born in Cookeville, Tennessee, about 100 miles west of Knoxville in the middle of Vols Country.
“I have a whole family of diehard Tennessee fans,” Napier said as he prepared for his first trip to Neyland Stadium as head coach.
Napier’s immediate family moved to Georgia when he was 2 years old. But he still has ties to the Volunteer State. He has an uncle who lives in Crossville. Both parents attended the University of Tennessee Tech. His mother’s parents had a tobacco plantation in Sparta. His father grew up in Salina.
Do they face the Gators on Saturday?
“Absolutely, yes,” Napier said. “If they’re not, they won’t be at the game, I can promise you that.”
Napier is 2-0 at Neyland and wins both visits there as an assistant in Alabama (2014, ’16).
WOUNDED VOLS: Two key pieces of Tennessee’s prolific offense, receiver Cedric Tillman (left knee) and running back Jabari Small (right arm), secured last week’s win with injuries. Small practice on Tuesday, but Tillman is called from day to day.
The Vols will definitely be without receiver Jimmy Calloway for the first half. He will serve a suspension for being kicked out of Tennessee’s win last week for punching an Akron player.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
0 Comments