GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A grinding Florida offense controlled the ball and wore down the clock as the No. 11/9 Tennessee Volunteers fell to the Gators, 29-16, on Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Florida (2-1, 1-0 SEC) held a 37:34 to 22:17 edge in time of possession as it shortened the game and kept Tennessee’s offense from finding its rhythm.
Quarterback Joe Milton III finished the night 20-of-34 with 287 passing yards, a pair of touchdowns and an interception. He found wideout Ramel Keyton in the first stanza for an 11-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring as UT took an early 7-0 lead.
The Gators responded by scoring on four consecutive drives in the first half as they built up a 26-7 halftime lead. Florida quarterback Graham Mertz was 19-of-24 with 166 yards through the air and one touchdown pass on the night. He added one score on the ground.
Gator tailback Trevor Etienne played a large role in controlling the ball as he churned up 172 yards on the ground on 23 carries. He found the endzone once on a 62-yard rush in the first quarter. Running back Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed for a score in the second frame before hauling in a touchdown pass late in the quarter. He finished the night with 23 yards on the ground and 18 through the air.
The Vols (2-1, 0-1 SEC) were able to find success on the ground as running backs Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small combined for 98 yards on 23 carries, while Milton rushed for six yards. Wide receiver Bru McCoy carried once for two yards.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Milton connected with McCoy deep down the sideline for a 55-yard scoring strike, trimming the Gator’s advantage to 29-16. McCoy hauled in five passes for 94 yards on Saturday night.
Placekicker Charles Campbell connected on a 42-yard field goal on the Vols’ first drive of the second half – trimming to Gator lead to 26-10. Florida’s final score of the night came off the foot of kicker Trey Smack who converted a 27-yard field goal to build a 29-10 lead for UF.
Aaron Beasley was Tennessee’s leading tackler with eight, while James Pearce Jr. led the way with a pair of tackles for loss.
UP NEXT
The Vols return home next week to face UTSA on Saturday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
#11/9 Tennessee Falls to Florida on the Road, 29-16
