Vols say they're ready for The Swamp

KNOXVILLE — Two weeks ago, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops raised eyebrows across Tennessee with his comments downplaying how the raucous Neyland Stadium environment might impact his team.

Now, as the Vols (2-1) prepare for their first SEC road game of the season, they are the ones brushing off questions about the role the road atmosphere might have in the game.

Asked how he is preparing his teammates to play at Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday (2:30 p.m. Central, WTVF-5), linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin turned defensive.

"We play in Neyland Stadium," the Clarksville native said. "That’s the top-tier. We’ll be used to anything."

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Bluster aside, Tennessee's first trip outside the state will likely leave at least some of the team's youngest members wide-eyed. Of the players who will be traveling to the game, 29 have never been part of an SEC road trip. Only 12 current Vols traveled to Florida for the 2013 game.

"There are a lot of new learning experiences for this football team (this week), going on the road and playing in 'The Swamp,' " Tennessee coach Butch Jones said.

Reeves-Maybin doesn't experience the worst of the crowd noise when on the road because fans usually quiet down when their team is on offense. At Neyland Stadium, the loudness can disrupt defensive communication for Reeves-Maybin and his teammates, but he said that's a small price to pay for the chaos it can create for opposing offenses.

"I'm pretty sure it can't get any louder than it does in our own stadium," safety Todd Kelly Jr. said.

The Vols' season-opening win over Bowling Green at Nissan Stadium in Nashville didn't constitute a true road game, according to Jones.

"That was a home game for us," he said.

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Saturday's matchup will be anything but. For that reason, Jones is emphasizing routines when the team departs for Gainesville.

"You don't change things up," Jones said. "You have a consistency in approach each and every day, and that's how you approach it, and we'll prepare for Florida just like we prepared for our other three opponents."

Jones has spent part of the week of preparation by showing the Vols videos of past Florida games so that they fully understand what awaits them. Reeves-Maybin promises that Tennessee will be ready for the trip.

"In the SEC, we play in big-time stadiums every week," he said. "I tell them just look to it like any other game. It’s nothing that should catch us by surprise."

Reach Matt Slovin at mslovin@tennessean.com and on Twitter @MattSlovin.

NEXT GAME

TENNESSEE (2-1, 0-0) at FLORIDA (3-0, 1-0)

When: 2:30 p.m. Central, Saturday

TV/radio: WTVF-5/104.5-FM