Tennessee Survives Against Florida

The majority of the game in Neyland Stadium wasn’t pretty, but Tennessee stepped up
when it mattered on Saturday night and sent Florida back to the swamp with a 23-17
overtime defeat.

First Quarter
Tennessee looked to start the game off strong as they took the opening drive of the
game right down the field in 6 plays and picked up 49 yards before disaster struck. On
the 7 th play of the drive, Nico Iamaleava fumbled the exchange with Dylan Sampson and
the Gators recovered. After both teams exchanged punts, Florida took the ball and went
on a 10 play 27 yard drive that took almost 5 minutes off the clock and ended with a
Trey Smack 42 yard field goal that put the Gators up 3-0.

Second Quarter
Tennessee started to move the ball on their next possession that started in the first
quarter and went through the first part of the second quarter, but ended after 3 straight
Florida sacks forced Tennessee to punt it away. Florida immediately takes the ball down
the field on an 11 play 72 yard drive that takes another 6 minutes off the clock before a
gutsy call on 4 th down and less than a yard results in Tennessee tackling Eugene Wilson
in the backfield for a turnover on downs. Tennessee’s offense remains stagnant
however and has to punt the ball back to Florida. Florida picks up where they left off and
start to drive the ball down the field again all the way to the Tennessee one yard line.
The Tennessee defense once again comes up big like they have most of the season as
James Pearce Jr forces a fumble on Graham Mertz and the Vols turn back the Gators
again. Tennessee looked to move the ball down the field before the half before a Nico
interception stopped Tennessee in its tracks once again. Tennessee’s defense hold
strong again at the end of the half as Florida gets a penalty on their field goal attempt at
the end of the half, and can’t prevent the 10 second runoff after using all of their
timeouts.

Third Quarter
Florida and Tennessee started off the 2 nd half by exchanging punts before Florida strikes
first. Graham Mertz led Florida on a 9 play 92 yard drive that ended with a 13 yard
touchdown pass from Mertz to Arlis Boardingham to take a 10-0 lead. After the Florida
touchdown, Tennessee decided to make a march of their own as they go on an 11 play
75 yard drive that was capped off by a Dylan Sampson 6 yard touchdown run on 4 th and
1 at the 6 yard line. On the ensuing Florida possession, freshman quarterback DJ

Lagway, who took over for injured Graham Mertz, has his first pass picked off by Arion
Carter. Tennessee can’t capitalize with a touchdown, but do get a field goal to tie the
game at 10.

Fourth Quarter
Florida began their next possession with more success as Lagway began to move his
ball down the field before the Tennessee defense stepped up again with a stop on 4 th
down and 3 from the Tennessee 39 yard line. Tennessee’s offense once again can’t
take advantage of the big stop and goes 3 and out to punt the ball back to Florida.
Jackson Ross continues his success as the punter and has his punt downed at the 6
yard line. The Tennessee defense does its job again and forces Florida into a 3 and out.
After a big return from Jermod McCoy, it only takes Tennessee 2 plays before Dylan
Sampson finds paydirt again from 23 yards out, and Tennessee takes their first lead of
the game 17-10. Over the next 4 possessions, Florida and Tennessee exchange punts
before a big punt return has Florida in business at the Tennessee 31 yard line with 2
minutes to go in regulation. Tennessee’s defense looks like it will come up big again
with another stop before DJ Lagway finds Chimere Dike for a 27 yard touchdown on 3 rd
and 18 to tie the game at 17 with 29 seconds left on the clock. Tennessee makes one
more attempt to get into field goal range at the end of regulation when a holding call
after a Iamaleava 9 yard first down run kills the opportunity and the game goes to
overtime.

Overtime
Tennessee won the toss and chose to play defense where the defense did what it has
done all season long, and that is step up and make a stop. Lagway’s first pass in
overtime falls incomplete before a false start pushed Florida back to 2 nd and 15. On the
next play, Lagway throws a screen pass in the flat that is read perfectly by Bryson
Eason for a 5 yard loss. After a 6 yard run on 3 rd down, Florida attempts a 47 yard field
goal to take the lead that is just wide right. Tennessee only needed a field goal to win it,
but the offense had different plans as it only took Tennessee 5 plays to score a
touchdown on a 1 yard run by Dylan Sampson to give Tennessee its 3 rd win over Florida
in the last 20 years.

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Michael Allen

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