The losing streak is over. Number 11 Tennessee defeated number 20 Florida 38-33 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, with the Volunteers beating the Gators for the first time since 2016 and the second time since 2004. Though Tennessee led by a whopping 17 points, Florida fought back late with a touchdown in the last minute of the game and recovered an onside kick for one last gasp with 16 seconds left before finally coming up short.
Hendon Hooker took advantage of a porous Florida secondary in the second half to get 340 yards in the game, the most by a Vols quarterback against the Gators since 1997. Hooker’s magnificent play also included 112 yards rushing and three total touchdowns (one rushing). It was the kind of performance that will bring a lot more Heisman Trophy hype to the Vols signal caller – and for good reason.
Though it was a lost effort, Florida QB Anthony Richardson recovered after a rough few weeks with a career passing outing. Richardson threw for a career-high 453 yards and two touchdowns, running for 62 yards and two more scores. His only disastrous play was a fumble in the red zone late in the second half, although he was also hit on a Hail Mary in the final game of the match, resulting in an interception.
With the win, Tennessee improves to 4-0 for the first time in six years and now appears to be the leading contender in the SEC East behind defending National Champion Georgia. Florida fell back to 2-2 this year, with both losses coming to SEC opponents, giving the Gators their first 0-2 start in the league since 1986.
With the SEC East seemingly out of Florida’s hands, the primary goal will be to improve each week and reach a bowling match. Since the Gators have already played three top-25 opponents in four weeks and still have Georgia, as well as Texas A&M and Florida State road games in the second half of the season, that goal is far from guaranteed.
Here are some highlights of a high-scoring affair at Neyland Stadium.
1. Hooker is about to become an important part of the Heisman conversation: While there’s no shortage of quarterbacks who have played video game numbers in Josh Heupel’s offenses, Hooker is so much more than just numbers right now. It’s the throws he makes, when he makes them and how he makes them. There are few quarterbacks in the country who handle things with his speed and repeatedly make quick, and above all, correct decisions.
Oh, and the numbers are pretty good too, because it was only the second time since he came to Knoxville that Hooker has rushed more than 100 yards in a game. He did it once last season. Hooker is now up to eight passing touchdowns without an interception this season. Returning to the start of the 2021 campaign, he has thrown 39 touchdowns with three interceptions. Those are incredible numbers, and he’s doing it in the toughest conference in the country.
The problem that Hooker’s Heisman case will face is that no matter how good this Tennessee team is, it probably won’t compete for a national championship. Its defensive flaws were seen in this game, even in the win, and it’s hard to imagine it wouldn’t bite in the end. Especially with games remaining against Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky. Given the nature of the sport, it’s hard to win a Heisman if you’re not playing for a national title contender, but Hooker plays just as well as Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, or any player whose name you hear mentioned by the title. price.
2. There Are Concerns About Tennessee’s Run Game: The Florida defense had struggled massively to the run in the first three games. The inability to stop it was the main reason the Gators struggled so hard with South Florida last week. With this, Saturday seemed like a good time for the Vols to get their ground game underway. While Hooker had a great day on the ground, Tennessee’s hasty attack wasn’t great without him. Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright combined 115 yards on 29 carries (3.97 per touch), though both scored touchdowns. Small also helped in the passing game, catching three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown. Still, with more challenging games against better defenses in the future, you’d like to see more balance in the Tennessee offense if it’s to stand a realistic chance of beating SEC powers Alabama and Georgia.
3. Bru McCoy is a weapon. It’s been a long, strange journey for McCoy, a former five-star recruit who has seemingly attended more schools than played games in his college career, but today he was a prominent member of the Tennessee Offense. The Vols missed second receiver Cedric Tillman due to injury, and McCoy stepped right into his role and played well. He caught five passes for 102 yards and a touchdown with a big gain of 70 yards on one reception. Given his size and speed, it’s not hard to figure out why he was so highly regarded after high school, nor is it hard to imagine all the ways the Tennessee Offline could use him.
4. An Encouraging Game for Richardson. If you look at the last stat line, you’ll see that Richardson had an interception and a fumble. However, the choice fell on a Hail Mary swell at the end of the match. Richardson also had the best passing game of his career, completing 24 of 44 passes for a career-high 453 yards and two touchdowns. He was equally deadly on the ground, rushing for 62 yards and two more scores. Richardson’s 515 yards were the second largest in Florida history, behind a record set by Tim Tebow.
Although Florida didn’t win, Richardson did everything he could to keep the Gators in the game. This was his best performance since the season-opening win against Utah. While that game raised expectations for both Richardson and the Gators, it was an excellent reminder of what he can accomplish. You would like to see a much higher completion rate, but Richardson has such a high ceiling because of his arm strength and walking ability.
5. Billy Napier Doesn’t Coach Afraid: Florida faced a fourth and 1 on the UF 39 on the first possession of the game. Napier went for it. Along the way, in a rivalry game, most of the coaches shot there, but Napier realized that Florida had no chance of winning this playing field position. The Gators went for it again later in the same stage and were held back, but that didn’t stop Napier from getting aggressive.
The Gators went for fourth in this game six times – and not just because of late desperation. The Gators converted 5 out of 6 attempts, including four straight to end the game. Florida was also 7 of 15 in third place, with Napier letting the ball run in many situations, knowing he was okay with the four-down area. It will be interesting to see if Napier continues this approach — the Gators only went for fourth in their first three games five times — or if this was specific to the Tennessee game.
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