With No. 24 Florida (0-1) set to host No. 23 Tennessee (2-0) in The Swamp on Saturday afternoon in a nationally broadcast showdown (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS), Inside the Gators presents five questions worth considering for the Gators’ home opener.

1. Will Feleipe Franks get to play the whole game?

Franks was pulled at around the 10-minute mark of the third quarter against Michigan after he lost a fumble trying to pick up a first down. Graduate quarterback Malik Zaire played the rest of the game and occasionally moved the offense, but did not lead the team on any scoring drives. Despite the benching, Franks is the starter again for Florida.

Considering Zaire’s struggles and Franks’ confidence, many are expecting that the redshirt freshman will get to play all four quarters (barring injury) against the Volunteers. Franks should not be looking over his shoulder worried about getting benched for Zaire. The plan in Dallas appears to have been to play multiple quarterbacks, but that did not work too well. Saturday should be Franks’ game start to finish.

2. Can Florida slow down the Tennessee ground game?

Michigan ran the ball 44 times for 237 yards against Florida, an average of 5.38 yards per carry. Being able to move the ball on the ground enabled the Wolverines to put points on the board even though UM quarterbacks were only 12-of-26 throwing the ball.

Tennessee enters Saturday’s game averaging 29.5 carries per game for 154 yards (5.22 yards per carry). Five UT running backs, led by junior John Kelly (37 carries, 208 yards, 4 TD), have contributed to the ground game. If the Vols ask Kelly to carry the team to victory, it will be up to the Gators to make sure they tackle him and wrap him up. A point of emphasis in UF practice this week has been the team’s 78 missed tackles in the last two meetings with Tennessee.

3. Will UF’s offensive line be able to block UT’s defensive line?

Florida’s offensive line is looking to redeem itself after getting manhandled by Michigan. The Wolverines entered the UF backfield with ease throughout the season opener and the Gators’ offense had no answer for the constant penetration which slowed down the running game and forced the quarterbacks to make decisions under pressure. Florida quarterbacks were sacked six times and the team only gained 11 net yards on the ground.

Tennessee’s defensive line comes in with a much different reputation. The Volunteers have already given up 657 rushing yards (535 to Georgia Tech) and have only recorded one sack. On paper, it looks like a winnable match-up for Florida’s offensive line.

4. Is the secondary ready for another big test?

There were positive and negative takeaways for Florida’s pass-defense in game one. Michigan only completed 46.15 percent of its passes. The passes Wolverines quarterbacks did complete, however, often went for big plays. UM quarterback Wilton Speight (11-of-25, 181 yards) averaged 16.45 yards per completion. On Speight’s touchdown throw, the UM targeted freshman safety Shawn Davis, who had subbed in due to an injury.

Tennessee junior quarterback Quinten Dormady enters the game averaging 27.5 attempts per game for 207.5 passing yards. The Vols have already gotten 11 pass-catchers involved in the offense through two games. With junior wide receiver Jauan Jennings sidelined due to injury, Dormady’s new big-play target has become sophomore Marquez Callaway, who has five catches for 152 yards, including three touchdowns.

5. Will offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier call a different game from the booth?

Following the Michigan game, in which Florida gained only 192 yards of offense, head coach Jim McElwain was asked if he would be getting more involved in the play-calling. Nussmeier remains the play-caller, but the Gators are switching things up by having the offensive coordinator move to the booth for the Tennessee game. Critics say it is a move made out of desperation. McElwain and Nussmeier had a nine-month offseason to fix UF’s issues on that side of the ball. Moving Nussmeier to the booth is unlikely to suddenly turn the Gators into a high-powered offense.

Something, however, had to be done after the Michigan game. Calling the game from the booth will give Nussmeier a different perspective and allow him to see more of the field in a calmer environment. The tradeoff is that Nussmeier, also the quarterbacks coach, won’t get to work with Franks one-on-one on the sideline. With currently Florida ranked last in the nation in total offense, it’s a risk worth taking.

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