Florida lost a longstanding streak in a 31-11 loss to No. 20 Tennessee on Saturday night. For the first time in 22 years, the Volunteers defeated the Gators in Gainesville.
This historic rivalry was not much of a competition, as Florida was shut out in the first half but avoided snapping a scoring streak dating back to 1988, which last happened with a 16-0 loss to Auburn in The Swamp that season. A field goal from kicker Trey Smack late in the third quarter extended that streak to 472 games, the longest in college football.
“The motive is just to keep going,” UF senior cornerback Devin Moore said. “It’s the standard here at the University of Florida, especially the guys leaving, including myself. We’re playing for each other. Those guys in the locker room don’t want us to go out on a bad note. And that’s definitely the motivation, and to continue to keep chipping wood, continue to keep going, show up every day. I know the guys in that locker room have my back for sure.”
The Gators (3-8, 2-6 SEC) had just one total yard of offense in the first quarter, while Tennessee (8-3, 4-3), recorded 202 in its first three possessions, resulting in three scores. The Volunteers tallied 323 yards in 44 plays in the first half. Florida ended with 261 total yards of offense compared to the Volunteers’ 452.
The Gators secondary struggled to stop the air attack, allowing 204 pass yards. The defenders up front were more successful in stopping Tennessee. Freshman edge Jayden Woods recorded a career-high eight tackles, a sack and his first career forced fumble, which was recovered by Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar.
“Woods, you know he’s a freak,” Moore said. “He’s an animal off that edge and just seeing his progression throughout the season is amazing to watch. He’s going to be a guy next year who’s going to cause havoc in the SEC for sure.”
Regardless, Tennessee ran the ball 51 yards for 248 yards, seeing through the cracks of the Gators defense.
Running back Jadan Baugh, the star for the Gators offense, recorded 96 rush yards on 18 carries with impressive footwork. He also led the Gators in receiving with 35 yards, another area of concern for Florida with so many injured players.
“We didn’t play as well as we should, but the message is just keep fighting,” Baugh said. “It’s only a couple of plays that changes the game, and I always thought that the four to five plays that can change a game. Somebody has to make them.”
Quarterback DJ Lagway was sacked just twice despite stalling in the pocket frequently with an offensive line that struggled to stop the pressure from Tennessee’s defense. He threw one touchdown pass, a 33-yarder to Baugh in the fourth quarter. Lagway also completed the two-point conversion to tight end Tony Livingston, completing scoring for the day on both sides.
While Lagway struggled in the pocket once again, he continues to prove interim coach Billy Gonzales right with his legs. Gonzales continues to emphasize that Lagway is a willing runner, which is most important when it comes to the run game. Lagway recorded a season-high 40 rushing yards on 10 attempts in the contest.
The Gators face Florida State (5-6) next Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2) for senior day and the season finale. Florida has the chance to eliminate the Seminoles from bowl game contention.
“It hurts anytime you want to have an opportunity,” Gonzales said. “This is the last SEC game. We’ve got one more game here coming up against Florida State, another rivalry game. We’ve got to go back and obviously try to figure out what we can to get a victory here.”
