KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Neyland Stadium, rising high above the Tennessee River, is an awesome sight on a fall Saturday afternoon when it is filled to the rafters with 106,138 fans.
It’s just as awesome, the Florida Gators will tell you, when most of those orange-clad Tennessee rooters are making their way to the exits in the third quarter.
There was only one thing faster than those fans leaving for home – the Gators offensively, defensively and especially on special teams, where junior Brandon James had another game for the ages.
James’ 52-yard return of the opening kickoff set up the first of two Tim Tebow touchdown passes and his 78-yard punt return for a touchdown completed a 17-point first quarter as the fourth-ranked Gators, with plenty of help from their hosts, opened up a 20-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 30-6 victory at Rocky Top.
The triumph was the third straight for Gators this season and first in Southeastern Conference play, giving them a 1-0 record in the tough East Division. It also was Florida’s fourth straight in the series since Urban Meyer took over in Gainesville and it evened the series at 19-19.
Tennessee dropped to 0-1 in the East and 1-2 overall for coach Phillip Fulmer, whose 17-year head coaching tenure on Rocky Top may be as confused as he and his team looked during the game, bringing choruses of boos from the faithful before they departed.
James’ electrifying returns (his punt return for a TD was his second of the season and fourth of his career) and another stout performance by the defense, which forced another three turnovers to give it nine for the season, plus three field goals
from redshirt senior Jonathan Phillips made it an easy day for Tebow and the offense.
It was 10-0 late in the first quarter when the defense forced a Chad Cunningham punt and James, back in double formation with fellow speedster Percy Harvin, caught the ball, made a couple of moves to his left and then right to evade tacklers before he followed a Harvin block to the middle of the field. Once there, no one was going to catch him.
Tebow, who got Florida started with a 2-yard jump pass to a wide-open Aaron Hernandez and later added a 15-yard scoring pass to Harvin in the third quarter, completed 8-of-15 passes for 96 yards. He rushed 12 times for 26 yards as Meyer and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen worked the clock late with their running game. Transfer Emmanuel Moody led the rushing attack, which gained 145 yards, with 55 yards on nine carries while Chris Rainey picked up 36 on 9 rushes and Harvin had 31 more yards on six carries.
Once again, the Gators, who return home to play Mississippi next Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on Raycom, made no turnovers for the third straight game.
For the game, the Volunteers outgained the Gators 258-241, getting 162 passing yards from junior quarterback Jonathan Crompton on an 18-of-28 effort. But Tennessee twice had long drives in the first half ended by Crompton turnovers (a fumble and then an interception).
The Gators got the ball back shortly after their first touchdown when linebacker Ryan Stamper recovered a fumble at the Vols 22 after freshman cornerback Janoris Jackson stripped the football from Montario Hardesty. But the Tennessee defense held and Phillips kicked a 39-yard field goal with 7:35 left in the first quarter.
With Florida lead 17-0, the Vols moved 71 yards downfield before Crompton mishandled a handoff, colliding with fullback Kevin Foster and failing to get the football to Arian Foster. Florida’s Carlos Dunlap recovered at his own 3.
Then after Phillips kicked his second field goal of the game, a 40-yarder, late in the first half, Tennessee marched inside the Florida 10 for a first-and-goal at the Gators 5. Hardesty got 3 yards on his first carry but was stopped for no gain on his second.
With 16 seconds left, Tennessee called timeout. Crompton returned to throw an incomplete pass to tight end Luke Stocker, who was defended by Ahmad Black. On fourth down, Crompton’s pass was intercepted by Jenkins and run out to the Florida 2, where Tebow took a knee to end the first half and start sending many of the Tennessee faithful to the parking lot.
HOW THEY SCORED
No. 4 FLORIDA 30, TENNESSEE 6
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008
At Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
Score by quarters 1 2 3 4 — Total
Florida 17 3 7 3 — 30
Tennessee 0 0 0 6 — 6
FIRST QUARTER
UF—Aaron Hernandez 2 pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick) at 10:15. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 2 first downs, 4:45 time elapsed following 52-yard return of opening kickoff by Brandon James. Key plays: Tebow shoveled a pass to Hernandez for 13 yards and a first down to the Tennessee 17 on third-and-8; Tennessee was penalized 10 yards for grabbing the facemask on Tebow’s minus-2 rush on next play, giving Gators first-and-goal at the Tennessee 9; On TD play, Tebow took a step forward stopped and hit a wide-open Hernandez, who had blocked and released for the reception. Score: Florida 7, Tennessee 0.
UF—FG Phillips 39 at 7:35. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0 first downs, 1:00 time elapsed following fumble recovery by Ryan Stamper at Tennessee 22 after freshman cornerback Janoris Jackson stripped Montario Hardesty of the football. Key plays: Florida was penalized for sideline interference and eventually had a third-and-19 from the Tennessee 31. As he was going down, Tebow lofted a jump pass over to Kestahn Moore for 9 yards, giving Phillips a chance to split the uprights, which he did. Score: Florida 10, Tennessee 0.
UF—Brandon James 78 punt return (Phillips kick) at 4:42. Key play: On fourth-and-2 from his 41, Tennessee’s Chad Cunningham punted the ball 36 yards to James, who stutter-stepped to his left to buy some time and then followed a block by Percy Harvin to break clear up the middle of the field for the touchdown, his fourth career punt return and second this season. Score: Florida 17, Tennessee 0.
SECOND QUARTER
UF—FG Phillips 40 at 4:43. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 3 first downs, 8:12 time elapsed following Carlos Dunlap’s recovery of Tennessee fumble at the Florida 3. Key plays: Tebow’s 5-yard run on third-and-3 early in the series; Tebow’s 34-yard pass completion to Percy Harvin on third-and-13 from Florida 26; on fourth-and-3 at Tennessee 33, Florida elects to go for it but there is movement on the Florida offensive line. Score: Florida 20, Tennessee 0.
THIRD QUARTER
UF—Percy Harvin 15 pass from Tebow (Phillips kick) at 4:29. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3 first downs, 4:42 time elapsed following Tennessee punt and 14-yard return by James. Key plays: Emmanuel Moody had two carries for 15 yards; touchdown came on third-and-5 play at the 15 as Tebow rolled away from pressure and threw an out pass to Harvin. Score: Florida 27, Tennessee 0.
FOURTH QUARTER
UT—Jonathan Crompton 1 run (pass failed) at 14:18. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4 first downs, 5:11 time elapsed following Florida kickoff. Key plays: Tennessee converted on three third-down plays, the last when Crompton completed a third-and-6 pass from the 11 to tight end Luke Stocker for 10 yards on the last play of the third quarter. Score: Florida 27, Tennessee 6.
UF—FG Phillips 27 at 9:29. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4 first downs following 4-yard kickoff return by Tate Casey to the Florida 38. Key plays: Emmanuel Moody had three carries for 23 yards before drive bogged down and Phillips hit his third straight field goal. Score: Florida 30, Tennessee 6.
Game summary
Officials (Southeastern Conference): Thomas Ritter, referee; Rick Lowe, umpire; Jay Vines, head linesman; Tim Beard, line judge; Bobby Aillet Jr., field judge; Michael Williams, side judge; Michael Watson, back judge; Marc Curles, alternate.
Weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees, 42 percent humidity, winds from NE at 9 mph.
Attendance: 106,138.
Records: Florida 3-0, 1-0 SEC East; Tennessee 1-2, 0-1 SEC East.
Next games: Mississippi at Florida, Sept. 27, 12:30 p.m. (Raycom); Tennessee at Auburn, Sept. 27, 3:30 p.m. (CBS).