It was a great night for Gators fans Saturday as Florida took care of business versus Tennessee. The Gators beat the Volunteers in a 47-21 rout which saw Florida’s defense force six turnovers.
Florida’s Defense Forces Six Turnovers In 47-21 Rout Versus Tennessee
Junior linebacker David Reese made his huge impact and showed just how much he means to Florida’s defense. Feleipe Franks had a decent night as he found the end zone a few times. Freddie Swain continues to do big things and graduate transfer Adam Shuler had himself a night in the trenches.
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers were manhandled by the Florida Gators on offense and defense. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed seven out of eighteen passes for 163 with no touchdowns passes and two interceptions. Running back Madre London led the Volunteers in rushing as he had eleven carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. Jeremy Banks also had a decent night with eight carries for 25 yards and a score. Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings were the leaders for the Vols in the passing game. Callaway had two receptions for 61 yards. Johnson had four catches for 60 yards.
On defense, it was a rough night as they had to deal with short fields and some explosive plays. Will Ignot and Baylen Buchanan led Tennessee in tackles with five tackles on the night. Kyle Phillips and Alexis Johnson both had sacks on Franks. Alontae Taylor had a forced fumble that was recovered by teammate Phillips. Tennessee also had four players with tackles for losses in Taylor, Phillips, Johnson, and Micah Abernathy.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators went on the road and completely dominated the Volunteers in front of their fans. Redshirt-sophomore Feleipe Franks had a solid night as he was nine for eighteen with 172 yards and three touchdowns. The Florida rushing attack also had a big night as they rushed for over 200 yards. Jordan Scarlett had eleven carries for 77 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Dameon Pierce had seven carries for 63 yards including a 47-rushing touchdown. Franks also had his first rushing touchdown. The Florida receivers played well, led by two juniors. Freddie Swain had two receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. Tyrie Cleveland also had two catches for 43 yards and a score. Former walk-on tight end R.J. Raymond found the end zone for the first time of his career.
The Gators defense came out to play with half a dozen of turnovers and shutting down the Tennessee run game. Junior linebacker David Reese made his season debut as he led Florida in tackles with eleven and had a fumble recovery. West Virginia transfer Adam Shuler also had a big night with nine tackles and a tackle for loss. Brad Stewart had a career night as he forced two turnovers with a fumble and an interception. Defensive lineman Luke Ancrum also had a pick on the night as he read the halfback screen perfectly. Cornerback C.J. Henderson might have had the play of the game as he forced a fumble on what looked like a walk in touchdown but jarred it loose and went into the back of the end zone for a touchback.
What’s next?
The Florida Gators will be back on the road to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. This will be a very emotional game for both sides as it will be Dan Mullen‘s first game in Starkville since he left for the Florida job. MSU is coming off a tough loss to Kentucky as both teams have losses from the Wildcats. You can watch this game on Saturday night at 6 pm EST on ESPN.
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