Rapid Reaction: Tennessee jumps all over Florida, ends losing streak in The Swamp
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Heading into Saturday’s matchup between No. 20 Tennessee and Florida, so much attention was paid to the environment. The Vols hadn’t won in The Swamp since 2003. The last 3 meetings hadn’t even been close. While Florida was embroiled in a lost season, the Gators still had a chance to spoil Tennessee’s campaign.
So much for that.
Tennessee put any talk of an upset to rest almost immediately. The Vols scored on their first drive, then their second, then their third, and then their fourth. Before halftime arrived in Gainesville, Florida fans were looking up at a 31-0 deficit.
Florida held Tennessee out of the end zone in the second half, but the damage was done. The Vols cruised to a 31-11 win behind 248 rushing yards and a defense that held UF quarterback DJ Lagway under wraps.
The win was Tennessee’s second consecutive victory over the Gators. The last time the Vols had a winning streak of any kind in the series was 2003-04.
Quarterback Joey Aguilar completed 17 of his 22 passes for 204 yards, crossing the 3,000-yard mark on the season and becoming the Vols’ first 3,000-yard passer since 2022. Tailback DeSean Bishop ran for 116 and 2 scores. Teammate Star Thomas ran for 71 and another touchdown.
The Vols didn’t turn the football over, and they went 9-for-13 on third down. The offense dried up in the second half, but Tennessee went into clock-killing mode, missed a field goal, and forced Florida to grind possessions.
UT only had the ball 3 times over the game’s final 30 minutes. Their last drive lasted 13 plays, covered 62 yards, and erased the final 7 minutes and 11 seconds from the clock. Florida was forced to kick a field goal after holding the ball for 8 minutes in the third.
This game was over at the half. Florida had no answer for the Tennessee offense early.
Now, UT can turn its attention to the regular-season finale against Vanderbilt. With the Commodores winning on Saturday, they are on the doorstep of the program’s first 10-win season and maybe even the College Football Playoff. At home next Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET), Tennessee can squash some dreams.
No. 20 Tennessee 31, Florida 11
Here’s the Tennessee-Florida box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
