Joshua Dobbs engineers furious comeback, Tennessee finally tops Florida

For four years now, Tennessee coach Butch Jones has talked about rebuilding the Volunteers program “brick by brick.”

Well, Jones slung one of those bricks Saturday and slayed arguably the most infamous dragon in the SEC, as the Volunteers defeated Florida for the first time since 2004. However, the 38-21 result wasn’t without drama.

For 30 minutes, the Gators totally dominated UT and went to the locker room at halftime with a 21-3 lead. The 100,000-plus at Neyland Stadium were ready to riot, as the Vols appeared to be buckling under the pressure. Dropped passes, missed assignments, questionable coaching  — nothing went right.

But whatever Jones said at intermission, it worked. Tennessee scored 35 straight to turn a three-touchdown deficit into a 38-21 advantage.

At the center of it all was the much-maligned Joshua Dobbs, the Volunteers’ likeable-but-limited senior quarterback. He was nothing short of awful in the first half, but in the second half he was simply magnificent.

Truth be told, Dobbs’ receiving corps was just as culpable for UT’s first-half floundering as he was. Yes, Dobbs was inaccurate and unable to hit targets in stride. But every now and then, a skill-position player has to bail out his QB. Receivers, tight ends, running backs — passes were bouncing off their hands repeatedly.

Fortunately for Dobbs, his weapons covered themselves in flypaper in the second half. UF’s spectacular secondary had no answers.

Dobbs finished the game 16-of-32 through the air for 319 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, although he was borderline flawless after his second pick. He also ran 17 times for 80 yards and an additional score.

Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Third-quarter TD tosses to Jalen Hurd and Ethan Wolf got the Vols back into the ballgame. Jauan Jennings reeled in a 67-yarder that gave them their first lead, 24-21, at the 12:45 mark of the fourth quarter. Just 57 seconds later, Dobbs hit Josh Malone for a 42-yard score to push the advantage to 31-21.

Meanwhile, Tennessee suffocated Florida’s offense with five three-and-outs and an INT on its first six possessions of the second half.

It’s impossible to understate just how unexpected this turnaround was. The Volunteers couldn’t have played worse right out of the gate. The Gators were clicking on offense and swarming on defense. A blowout was in the works.

Had UT not snapped out of it, the ramifications would have been severe. This is the game every Vols fan had circled on the calendar before the season. For the first time in the Jones era, his kids had to deal with legitimate expectations. A 12th consecutive loss in the series would have blown all those bricks sky high.

Now 4-0 and in control of the East, Tennessee could finally be ready to live up to the hype reserved for championship programs.

The Volunteers have started perhaps the most daunting four-game stretch of any team in the country with a victory. The next three are at Georgia, at Texas A&M and then defending national champion Alabama back at home.

Had UT not being able to engineer this comeback, the entire season — not to mention Jones’s bricklaying — may have come crumbling down. The Vols returned 17 starters this year, more than any team in the division. The rest of the East had noticeable question marks. If was fair to ask, “If not now, when?”

When is officially now in Knoxville. With the alligator finally off their backs, it’s time to go on a deep run.

With a win over UF, its most worthy competition in the division, Tennessee no longer has to sweep that month-long death march. Finding a way to go 3-1 would more than likely be good enough to move on to Atlanta.

Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Bulldogs were exposed to some degree earlier in Week 4, getting blown out 45-14 at Ole Miss. The Aggies are undefeated and improved on both sides of the ball, although they have teased in the past. And even if the Crimson Tide look better than ever, the Volunteers gave them quite a fight a season ago in Tuscaloosa.

Breaking a decade-plus curse against a hated rival could spring this squad to heights never seen before under Jones.

There may be no player in the SEC easier to root for than Dobbs, even if he’s more likely to earn a living after graduation working for NASA than playing in the NFL. He deserves every ounce of praise he’s currently receiving.

It was fair to question if Dobbs was capable of taking the next step. A low-percentage passer who has genuine trouble delivering the ball with accuracy down the field, he’s been at least partially responsible for some of UT’s recent-vintage failures. Both of his picks in this contest were poor decisions, too.

But with his own legacy — don’t forget his coach’s job security — hanging in the balance, Dobbs took over the game and saved the season.

The biggest hurdle to jump next week won’t be the opponent. The Vols, riding high following their most emotional W in years, have to guard against a letdown in Athens. The Dawgs still control their own destiny in the division.

Let Tennessee celebrate, though. Just two weeks earlier, Florida handed Kentucky a 30th straight loss in that series. While 11 years is barely a third of the way there to three decades, the mental aspect of this losing streak had to have been weighing on the Volunteers — players, coaches and fans alike. What a relief.

Brick by brick, Jones has said. This orange-and-blue brick was the heaviest of all. The rest should feel light by comparison.

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.