The Good, the Great and the Ugly From Florida’s Dominant Win Over Tennessee

Breaking down the good, the great and the ugly from the Florida Gators monumental upset victory over rival Tennessee.

In dominant fashion, the Florida Gators extended Tennessee’s winless streak in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to 10 games, triumphing over the Vols, 29-16, on Saturday night. 

The victory was head coach Billy Napier’s first against a Florida rival since he arrived on the scene in Gainesville, going 0-4 against Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Florida State in his inaugural campaign.

To recap the monumental win from an inspired Gators squad, All Gators analyzes the good, the great and the ugly, an adjusted version of our weekly "good, bad and ugly" series.

Good: The win itself

Florida contest against Tennessee was crucial.

After a rough start to the campaign on the road in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Gators got their second crack at a Power Five opponent with an opportunity to reconcile the pessimism from onlookers regarding the current state of the program that came due to the troubling performance.

If Florida lost, the potential for it to snowball into another third straight below .500 season loomed large. 

However, the Gators played up to their competition and took down the No. 11 Volunteers. They took advantage of the chance to reconcile their Week 1 wrongs, and did so in a dominant, replicable way on the back of the rushing attack and a stout defensive effort.

The win straightens the path for Florida as the Gators embark on the rest of the season. It also silences the doubts surrounding Napier and his aforementioned struggles against rivals — at least for the meantime.

While there are still several questions regarding the product needing to be answered moving forward, the outcome and means in which it came is arguably the most significant victory to date for the current coaching staff.

They’ll look to compile the momentum it provides as they head to Kroger Field in two weeks to face a Kentucky squad that has had their number in recent memory.

The win alone isn’t enough to showcase maintained improvement, but it’s a baseline for the Gators to realize an upward trajectory throughout the 2023 season if they can take advantage.

Great: Gators tempo control

Prior to the contest, the contrast in styles between Florida and Tennessee made one thing certain: Whichever team forced the other to play at their pace would prevail.

The key factor proved to be true as Florida operated within its offensive identity, running the football at 64% clip to move the football slow and methodically while imposing its will on the UT defensive line.

The Gators dominated the time of possession battle as a result, 35:39-22:21, reeling off two drives of over seven minutes in the first half.

Their intention approach to the ground game established the tone in the contest, forcing the Vols to conform to UF’s style rather than their usual rapid pace. Florida leaned on running back Trevor Etienne, who produced a career-high day in rushing yards with 174 and a score — and its vastly improved defense.

It was the exact recipe the Gators needed to employ, and they executed it to perfection.

Through the first 30 minutes, Napier’s offense was a direct depiction of its ability at peak form and something for the unit to emulate moving forward into the thick of SEC play. 

Ugly: Florida’s special teams unit

Ah shoot, here we go again.

I’m not sure how many different ways I can expound upon the ineptitude of Florida’s special team’s unit, but it keeps forcing my hand.

When Florida stalled on its first drive of the contest, Adam Mihalek trotted on to attempt a 46-yard field goal with the potential to give the Gators an early 3-0 lead.

However, instead of doing so, he sent a low knuckle ball toward the outstretched hands of the Vols field goal block team. It skimmed off the fingertips of a UT defensive lineman, ending the promising first drive for UF without points.

Tennessee capitalized on the momentum to take an 7-0 lead and early control on the contest.

Etienne answered with an explosive 62-yard touchdown run, presenting Mihalek another chance to see the field for the game-tying extra point attempt.

Different kick, same result.

Special teams assistant Chris Couch and Napier elected to make the change to Trey Smack at placekicker — who performed well in his limited role to serve as a significant bright spot despite the cloudy conditions for the group deemed the “GameGhangers.”

He knocked through his two extra point attempts and added an exclamation point 27-yard field goal with 9:55 remaining in the contest.

However, the placekicking debacle wasn’t the lone issue. 

Several shanked punts by Jeremy Crawshaw, who totaled just a 35.7-yard average on three kicks, contributed to the struggle.

While the special teams blunders had no bearing in the final outcome, due in large part to the first half dominance of the other two phases, it remains the most glaring issue plaguing Florida from maximizing its potential during the 2023 campaign.

Four points left of the board paired with an inability to flip the field effectively can prove detrimental to the Gators success, especially as they endure a daunting stretch of upcoming SEC contests, particularly on the road.

Unfortunately for Florida, the unit has suggested it’s at a point beyond return through three weeks. 

The group are labeled GameChangers by the current staff.

At this point, it’s safe to say they don’t play with enough consistency to change the game in a positive form. But it can’t continue to change it negatively if Florida wants to be truly competitive against teams of equal or greater strength.

On Saturday night, the Gators won in spite of the special teams.

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