5 biggest takeaways: Sparked by Treon Harris, Gators edge Vols 10-9

This year’s Florida and Tennessee game wasn’t pretty by any means, but the Gators got the job done in the fourth quarter, thanks to a switch at starting quarterback and a very stingy defense.

With the victory, the Gators extended their winning streak over the Vols to 10 straight games, dating back to 2005.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from Florida’s big SEC East win at Neyland Stadium.

1. Treon Harris gives UF offense a whole new energy – The true freshman quarterback didn’t fill up the stat sheet – he completed just 2-of-4 passes for 17 yards on four carries for 24 yards. However, it wasn’t the stats from Harris that had such a big impact. It was the emotional boost he gave what looked like a depleted offense with absolutely no life. Once the quarterback switch was made, the Gators immediately responded, scoring on Harris’ first two drives to go ahead 10-9 on Tennessee. How he’ll respond with extended playing time is completely up in the air, but there’s no doubt that there’s a renewed sense of hope among the Gator faithful.
2. Jalen Tabor takes over – After the secondary’s debacle against Alabama a few weeks ago, Will Muschamp vowed to make some changes in the secondary and rotate some newer guys in. One of the positions up for grabs was the starting cornerback position opposite Vernon Hargreaves and it appears true freshman Jalen Tabor may have played his way into that starting role. The former five-star prospect had a breakout game yesterday, recording three tackles, one pass breakup and one sack that led to a forced fumble as well as fumble recovery by Tabor. He may be a freshman, but Tabor is a very physical corner who excels in his open-field tackling. One would think that after yesterday’s performance, Gator fans will be seeing a lot more of No. 5 from now on.
3. Gators finally have a pass rush – Florida’s front seven hadn’t been very productive rushing the passer so far this season, but that all changed as the Gators took advantage of a overwhelmed Tennessee offensive line. The Gators doubled their season sack total by racking up sick sacks, including three by sophomore defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. Yes, it was a huge mismatch all day, but it had to be encouraging for the Gators coaching staff to see the front seven get a significant push at the line of scrimmage during most of the game.
4. Florida still has Tennessee’s number – For three entire quarters, the Gators might as well not even have shown up – at least offensively. The game was there for the taking for Tennessee, who had four red zone trips throughout the game. However, they were unable to capitalize and only got three field goals out of their red zone opportunities. They let Florida hang around and the Vols paid for it as the Gators scored a quick 10 unasnwered points in the fourth quarter to squeak by Tennessee and extend their winning streak to 10 games. This was arguably the most winnable game for the Vols during this streak and Tennessee couldn’t get the job done.
5. Will Muschamp lives to fight another day – Without the fourth-quarter comeback, I don’t know if Florida fans would have let Muschamp return to Gainesville. After a dismal three quarters of football, the switch to Treon Harris at quarterback may have saved Muschamp his job. By no means was this a dominant win for the Gators, but the victory doesn’t hurt Muschamp. Now, the Gators face a manageable two games at home against LSU and Missouri before another bye week. If Florida is able to win both games, Muschamp’s seat will probably cool off for the first time this season.

Drew Laing

Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.