Fueled by a second half rally, the Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Florida Gators 38-28 to take sole possession of first place in the SEC East.
Make no mistake about it: this was an impressive victory for Tennessee. Although the Volunteers came into this contest undefeated, many in the media didn’t think the team was all that good. Sure, the win over Virginia Tech was nice, but UT came out flat against Appalachian State and Ohio University. The lack of style points convinced many football experts that the Vols weren’t good enough to win this game.
After the first half of this contest, it looked like they were right. Tennessee’s offense shot itself in the foot early in the game with dropped passes. The Volunteers also struggled in the red zone, netting just three points in three trips inside the Gator 20-yard line. The UT defense also had absolutely no answers for the Florida offense, which racked up 300 yards by halftime.
However, the second half was a completely different story. Yes, Dobbs threw an interception on the first possession of the second half, but Tennessee dominated the game from that point on. The UT defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, making it difficult for the Florida offense to get anything going. As a result of this stellar play up front, Tennessee forced five three-and-outs and an interception on the next six series. The Gators didn’t pick up their initial first down of the second half until midway through the fourth quarter.
By consistently forcing Florida into three-and-outs, the Volunteer offense had little trouble re-taking the lead. The same UT receiving corps that dropped the ball in the first half came up with some impressive grabs in the second half, including a 67-yard TD catch by Jauan Jennings that gave the Vols the lead. Joshua Dobbs – who started the game 1 for 8 passing – completed 9 of his first 12 passes in the second half, en route to a 319-yard, four-touchdown performance.
The way the Volunteers dominated the second half makes it crystal clear that they are the team to beat in the SEC East. Sure, UT won’t get any style points for how it played early in the season, but that’s really not important in the grand scheme of things. If the Vols are going to win the division – and the conference – championship, the only thing that matters is winning. Based on what we saw out of Tennessee in the second half against Florida, it’s safe to say that no lead is safe against the Volunteers. Just as it has done all season long, UT overcame adversity and rallied back for a win.
That’s what championship teams do.
