Florida football will host its first home game of the season on Saturday by welcoming UT Martin.
Here are Gators Territory's predictions for the game:
JACQUIE FRANCIULLI: I'll make this short and sweet. Florida is set to host UT Martin in a game that could provide a great opportunity for Dan Mullen's team. The talent gap between the two sides is evident, and the Gators should be able to set the pace early in this matchup.
UT Martin running back Peyton Logan will provide an excellent test on the ground to see how well tackling has improved from game one, while Feleipe Franks could have a good opportunity to air it out on Saturday.
I expect this game will also showcase a lot of the younger talent on the Florida roster, especially in the second half. This should not be close. Florida 50, UT Martin 10
COREY BENDER: After having last week off, expect the Gators to showcase progression and win convincingly against the Skyhawks. Considering the level of talent that makes up UM's defense, Feleipe Franks performed fairly well to kick off the season, but must limit the turnovers in order for Florida to take that next leap. Accounting for any head-scratching turnovers against UT Martin would be worrisome for the staff, but I expect Franks to post an efficient stat-line this Saturday.
The Skyhawks' secondary gave up 387 passing against Northwestern State, and will certainly have its hands full against UF's big-bodied receiving corps. I expect the Gators to reach the end-zone on the first couple of drives, with the running game opening up Franks' options down-field.
UT Martin racked up 28 second-half points to secure its week one win, but accounted for just 130 yards through the air. That will not cut it against the likes of CJ Henderson and Marco Wilson, so I expect Todd Grantham's unit to post a couple of turnovers as well.
I'll be surprised if UT's offense has much success at all. Florida 48, UT Martin 7.
JOSEPH HASTINGS: It would be hard to imagine an SEC East team losing to a non-Power 5 program for a second consecutive week, so I believe Florida walks away with a comfortable win this weekend.
UT Martin has played in six games against SEC opponents since the beginning of the 2014 season, losing those matchups by an average of 40.2 points per game. In Dan Mullen's first season at Florida, the Gators beat both FCS programs they played by an average of 50 points per game.The talent disparity is indisputable, with this Saturday serving as an opportunity for backups and true freshmen to get some snaps in for at least a quarter or more of game time.
This matchup should also give UF confidence heading into next weekend's road meeting with Kentucky as the team looks to avenge last year's home loss against the Wildcats. Florida 62, UT Martin 13
TANNER DENNIE: After closing out a victory over the Miami Hurricanes in Orlando in week zero, the Florida Gators come out in week two fresh off of a bye week and ready to take on a UT-Martin team that pounded the rock with consistency against Northwestern State last weekend.
Florida was terrible at bringing down Miami’s physical running back, DeeJay Dallas, and UT-Martin’s running back Peyton Logan is a speedy back that will be hard to bring down in the open field.
I think the tackling mistakes can be coached, and was a point of focus in practice. The Gators will neutralize the Skyhawks offense with the speed of Florida’s defenders.
Franks has a big game after facing criticism from the national media and the Gators are able to win comfortably in their home opener in The Swamp. Florida 45, UT-Martin 13