Gators Fail to Overcome Tennessee’s Offensive Firepower, Lose 38-33
In this story:
Anthony Richardson's heroic efforts on the road in Knoxville were not enough for the Gators to come out on top.
The Florida Gators (2-2; 0-2 SEC) fell to the Tennessee Volunteers (4-0; 1-0 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, 38-33. It is just the second UT victory over Florida since 2004 and pushed the Gators to 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 1986.
Tennessee's execution in the middle eight minutes of the contest proved to be the ultimate difference, as it overshadowed a stout showing by Florida in the first half. Scoring a touchdown with just seven seconds remaining in the second quarter before turning around to score another out of the half, the Volunteers put Florida at an insurmountable 10-point deficit.
However, that didn't stop Billy Napier's squad from trying to climb back in against a hard-to-stop offensive attack.
Bouncing back from the first 10-point disadvantage with a strong second-half opening drive, the Gators executed a 75-yard drive in 12 plays on the coat tails of Richardson.
He accounted for his third touchdown of the game on that drive, willing the Gators within three, 24-21.
It looked as if the same would happen on the ensuing drive, although the Gators started at their own three-yard line when Florida went for a fourth and two at the UF 27. Richardson hit wide receiver Justin Shorter deep down the field for a 39-yard gain to put the Gators back in striking distance.
However, the drive ultimately resulted in a turnover on a QB Draw play by Richardson. His fumble negated a scoring opportunity for Florida that would have brought the Tennessee lead back down to three.
The Gators' defense continued to unravel by allowing a big play through the air from Hendon Hooker, leading to the Vols hammering the final nail in UF's coffin.
Conceding 576 total yards of offense and 38 points — despite their matchup against a top-five offense in the NCAA — Florida's lack of talent on the defense was evident for the second week in a row.
This time, instead of allowing the opposition's rushing attack to gash the gaps up front, the lapses from the unit came in pass coverage. Florida allowed a bevy of explosive plays, failing to combat the high-powered Tennessee offense even without a vital member of their wide receiver corps in the mix.
Running back Montrell Johnson and Ricky Pearsall scored two consolation touchdowns, respectively, with 4:49 and 0:17 remaining to supplement the final score before recovering an improbable onside kick to get another opportunity to win.
The hail mary attempt as time expired fell into the arms of a Tennessee defender to seal the loss for UF.
While there are no moral victories in the SEC, Richardson's performance — 24-for-45, 453 yards, 62 yards on the ground and four total touchdowns — should be a promising area to build upon throughout the rest of the year.
The Gators will return to Gainesville for a week five bout with Eastern Washington at 12 p.m. ET.
Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.
