Josh Heupel looked relieved and excited at the same time after Tennessee knocked off Florida 38-33. The Gators have dominated this series recently; however, Saturday was about Hendon Hooker and the Vols.

Tennessee’s quarterback threw for 2 touchdowns and rushed for another while combining for 461 yards in the victory. He made a Heisman Trophy statement against the Gators.

Following the game, Heupel was asked what kind of message this win over Florida sends to the rest of college football, telling everyone that Rocky Top is back.

Immediate reaction…

“How much fun was this, man?” Heupel asked. “God, I love it. Kids competed. We had battles all night long. Fans were awesome and the environment was better than anything I’ve ever experienced. What a win.

On Hendon Hooker…

“He (Hendon Hooker) was electric all night long. Unbeleivable job throwing the football. He used his speed opportunistically, man. He competed and everyone fed off his energy on the offensive side of the ball. Hell of an effort by him tonight.”

On the Tennessee environment…

“This is just the beginning of this journey with these guys, but I absolutely believe in and love our football team, man. They compete really hard. They practice great. They love one another. This is college football — as good as it gets.

“Rocky Top’s back. Let’s go!”