![]() ![]() “The fans truly affected the game.”įlorida’s defense forced a three-and-out to keep the momentum rolling, and the offense proceeded to drive 55 yards on seven plays to score yet another TD. “I was on the sideline, and I couldn’t hear my coach in front of me, it was rocking,” Mertz said. Quarterback Graham Mertz tucked the ball and scored on a 1-yard sneak three plays later, extending the lead to 19-7 and bringing the crowd to its feet. ![]() The Gators’ defense proved opportunistic three plays into Tennessee’s next drive when Devin Moore intercepted an errant Milton deep ball and returned it 39 yards. The Gators took their first lead of the night when Montrell Johnson Jr.’s 4-yard TD run at the 9:28 mark of the second quarter made the score 12-7. Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton lll, now 5-2 as the Vols’ starter, finished 20-of-34 passing for 297 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. It was a determined Gators defense, to be sure, having turned away Tennessee on a fourth-and-1 at the Florida 17 with 5-1/2 minutes left in the third quarter to preserve what was then a 26-10 lead. “It validates what you’re selling to some degree and the things you continue to harp on.” “It validates your plan,” Napier said of the win. The Vols’ last gasp, a fourth-and-10 pass from the Florida 25, fell incomplete with 2:31 left and sent fans to the exits. Tennessee had bypassed the Gators’ yardage (393-349), but not points, by the end of the night. The Gators took control with 26 consecutive points in the first half after Tennessee (2-1, 0-1) scored on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.įlorida’s balanced attack outgained the explosive hurry-up Vols 281 yards to 122 through the first half, holding the ball 21:42 of the first 30 minutes. Trevor Etienne rushed for a career-high 172 yards on 23 carries, including a 62-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that lit a fire under Florida (2-1, 1-0 SEC) that burned deep into the night. ![]() ![]() It marked Florida’s 10th consecutive win over Tennessee at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and its first at home over a ranked SEC since beating a No. ![]()
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