If all that matters is the final score, Tennessee clobbered Florida, 31-11, Saturday night in Gainesville.
In a stunning first half, the Vols dominated the line of scrimmage, drained The Swamp and had the Gators hunting a place to hide. Believe it or not, Tennessee was ahead at intermission by four touchdowns and a field goal.
Tight end Ethan Davis #0 recorded a pair of receptions for 35 yards on UT’s opening drive and capped the possession with a 23-yard catch and run for a touchdown. It was the second TD catch this year for the redshirt sophomore and the fourth of his career. (Photo by Kate Luffman/ Tennessee Athletics)
The game was obviously over. The UT losing streak that stretched through two dreadful decades was over. Florida fans gave up early and fled the scene.
The second half was very different. Tennessee failed to score. It seemed content to run minutes off the clock. Florida didn’t quit. It eventually made a token comeback.
There never was any question which was the better team. Tennessee had 452 yards gained to Florida’s 261. There was nothing really wrong with a 20-point victory. The Tennessee record is now 8-3. The Vols can safely show up for the season finale against Vanderbilt.
“I think the first half, we started and played the way we’re capable of, at a high level,” said Josh Heupel.
The coach said he was happy to get the win. He listed some things he didn’t like.
“All in all, I liked the competitive edge in all three phases, playing smart physical football and playing together.”
Heupel said he was proud of his players, pleased with the preparation that gave them a chance to win.
“This one mattered to them. There was a lot of fun in that locker room. It was important to them. They understood the history of this rivalry. We have talked about that. It was fun to see them enjoy this moment.”
Heupel wanted a quick start. He got one. Tennessee had 190 yards of offense in the first quarter. Florida had a net gain of one. Joey Aguilar completed his first 10 passes.
Aguilar finished 17 of 22 for 204 yards and one touchdown. He tried only one deep throw. He did not lose an interception. He did fumble once when a block was missed and he got blind-sided. Joey recovered.
“It’s hard to put into words what Joey means to this team,” said Heupel.
DeSean Bishop led the impressive running attack with 116 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, some on a sore ankle. Star Thomas had a 52-yard break-away. Freshman Duane Morris finished strong.
The Tennessee offensive line may have had its best game. Linebacker Jeremiah Telander led UT with a career-high 10 tackles. The Vols lost only 25 yards in penalties.
Score by quarters:
- Tennessee 14 17 0 0 — 31
- Florida 0 0 3 8 – 11
Scoring summary:
- Tenn – Ethan Davis 23 pass from Joey Aguilar (Max Gilbert kick).
- Tenn – DeSean Bishop 1 run (Gilbert kick).
- Tenn — Bishop 1 run (Gilbert kick).
- Tenn—Star Thomas 1 run (Gilbert kick).
- Tenn — Gilbert 26 field goal.
- FLA – Trey Smack 46 field goal.
- FLA – Jadan Baugh 33 pass from DJ Lagway (Tony Livingston pass from Lagway).
Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com
This makes living in Florida much more pleasant.
The question is WHERE was this performance most of the season? Next question; was Boo that big of a downer to the team? Lastly, when will Josh learn to keep his foot on the gas? Saving something for Vandy? Obviously a great win for all Vols against any version of the Gators! NOW—-Play 60 minutes of that first half football and you just might beat Vanderbilt…. Ethan Davis is going to be a star!! A tight end with WR skills & speed! Marvin West continues to present us with the very best. Happy Thanksgiving to Mr. West & Sarah, and Volunteers everywhere. The turkey dinner will definitely set better with this win.
Tennessee won. Tennessee broke the negative streak. Why quibble? Actually, Tennessee just won the first half by a larger margin than Florida won the second. One can wonder why the Vols put their offense on cruise at fifty-five in the second half. Teams do come back. Teams do sometimes “forget how” when they change courses. They will have to play sixty minutes against Vanderbilt. They did play a great thirty in the Swamp.
Fun win for the Big Orange. I’m going to savor it and not worry about the second half.
Now let’s go get those Commodores next week!