What Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel should envy about Dan Mullen’s offense besides quarterbacks

Florida rushed for more yards against No. 1 Alabama than Tennessee did against FCS foe Tennessee Tech last week.

There lies the double trouble that awaits the Vols (2-1, 0-0 SEC) against the No. 11 Gators (2-1, 0-1) in The Swamp on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

And it also highlights what coach Dan Mullen has and Josh Heupel does not – a powerful ground game to complement two new quarterbacks.

“(Mullen’s) track record of quarterback play, some in the pass game, but their ability to run the football too, has been a big part of what he's done everywhere that he's been,” Heupel said.

Sound familiar?

Heupel’s reputation is similar. He produces high-quality quarterback play with a deceptively explosive rushing attack. At UT, he has neither.

Both must change for the Vols to have a chance against the Gators.

SEASON TICKET PRICES:What Tennessee fans, ticket holders should know about new plan

TOPPMEYER:Steve Spurrier's favorite win over Tennessee football might surprise you

ADAMS:Ever been to The Swamp? Some Tennessee fans have and aren't going back

‘Little bit of everything’ slowing UT ground game

Florida touts the No. 2 rushing offense in FBS, averaging 335.7 yards. The Gators ran for 246 yards (5.7 yards per carry) in a 31-29 loss to Alabama last week.

UT rushed for 202 yards in a 56-0 win over Tennessee Tech, but it averaged only 4.3 yards per carry. The longest run by a Vols running back was 15 yards, and the offensive line never dominated.

Heupel said the ground game’s shortcomings were shared by every offensive position. That’s especially concerning for a first-year coaching staff trying to make quick fixes before SEC play.

“(It’s) a little bit of everything,” Heupel said. “Offensive line needing to be cleaner. It’s the running back, you know, could be pressing the line of scrimmage to help a double-team get to the second level. It could be recognizing, reading the right thing and getting to space.”

Injuries have hampered UT’s rushing attack. Center Cooper Mays have missed the past two games. Right tackle Cade Mays and backup right guard Kingston Harris left the Tennessee Tech game with injuries.

Heupel said, “Nothing finalized on those guys, … (but) they’ll have a chance to be ready to go (against Florida).”

Running back Jabari Small hasn’t played since suffering an unspecified injury in the second quarter of UT’s 41-34 loss to Pittsburgh two weeks ago. Heupel hasn’t provided an update to his status.

Vols QBs have run well, also fumbled

Florida’s quarterback play hasn’t been exceptional. But it’s been effective.

Emory Jones has passed for only two TDs and five interceptions, and Anthony Richardson has two TD passes among his 11 pass attempts. Richardson missed the Alabama game with a hamstring injury, but Mullen said he expects him to be available against UT.

But Jones and Richardson have combined for 506 rushing yards and four TDs behind a dominant offensive line.

UT also is undecided at quarterback, but it doesn’t have an undisputed strength on which to rely. Joe Milton and Hendon Hooker have both misfired on deep passes to open receivers. They’ve rushed for 212 yards and three TDs, but also lost three fumbles.

It’s further evidence that UT’s ground game has been a liability as much as an asset.

So the Vols have a two-sided problem on the line of scrimmage. They must run the ball with better execution against Florida than they did against Tennessee Tech. And they must bottle up Florida’s rushing attack better than Alabama did.

UT’s defense has allowed only 54.3 rushing yards per game, ranked No. 5 in FBS. But it hasn’t been tested against an opponent like Florida.

“Obviously, this is the best offensive line that we’ve faced, best group of running backs, best group of receivers, quarterback – it’s the complete package,” defensive line coach Rodney Garner said. “We’ve got to elevate our level of play. We’re in conference now, it’s going to be much more intense.”

Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.