Tennessee rallies to halt 11-game skid against Florida
The Sports Xchange
Sep 24, 2016
No. 14 Tennessee ended its 11-year losing streak against 19th-ranked Florida in dramatic, emphatic fashion.
Josh Dobbs threw for four second-half touchdowns Saturday as the Volunteers erased a 21-0 first-half deficit to post a 38-28 Southeastern Conference win at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Booed off the field at halftime with the Gators leading 21-3, Tennessee (4-0, 1-0) flipped the script behind Dobbs, whose passing has come under criticism during his career.
Dobbs started the second-half rally with a 23-yard scoring strike to running back Jalen Hurd with 7:29 left in the third quarter, followed by a 20-yard touchdown reception by tight end Ethan Wolf with 59 seconds remaining that drew the Vols within 21-17.
Dobbs then hit wide receiver Jauan Jennings for a juggling 67-yard score down the right sideline with 12:45 left in the game, giving Tennessee its first lead of the day as a crowd of 102,455 roared.
The next touchdown came less than 90 seconds later after an interception by Todd Kelly set the Vols up at the Gators' 42-yard line. Three plays later, Dobbs found Josh Malone on a slant and Malone outraced defenders for a 42-yard score and a 31-21 advantage. Dobbs tacked on the final score with 8:27 remaining on a 5-yard keeper.
Florida's offense, which moved skillfully up and down the field during the first half, grinded to a halt while Tennessee took command. The Gators (3-1, 1-1) didn't manage a first down in the second half until an 86-yard touchdown march concluded with a 10-yard pass from Austin Appleby to Freddie Swain with 4:17 left.
Appleby, who completed 23 of 39 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, got Florida off to a fast start with a 3-yard scoring pass to tight end DeAndre Goolsby 85 seconds into the game.
It became 14-0 when Appleby hit Jordan Cronkrite with a 15-yard touchdown pass with 14:10 left in the first half and 21-0 on Josh Scarlett's 1-yard plunge 5:12 before halftime.
The Vols managed just a 28-yard field goal by Aaron Medley late in the first half. But Dobbs, who finished with 319 yards passing and 80 on the ground, led them to their long-awaited win over their fiercest SEC East rival.
NOTES: This is the first time the teams met as unbeaten, ranked squads since 2012. ... Tennessee LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury that was supposed to sideline him for the remainder of the game, but he returned in the third quarter. ... Florida's defense entered the game allowing opponents to convert just 19 percent of their third down chances.
Sep 24, 2016
No. 14 Tennessee ended its 11-year losing streak against 19th-ranked Florida in dramatic, emphatic fashion.
Josh Dobbs threw for four second-half touchdowns Saturday as the Volunteers erased a 21-0 first-half deficit to post a 38-28 Southeastern Conference win at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Booed off the field at halftime with the Gators leading 21-3, Tennessee (4-0, 1-0) flipped the script behind Dobbs, whose passing has come under criticism during his career.
Dobbs started the second-half rally with a 23-yard scoring strike to running back Jalen Hurd with 7:29 left in the third quarter, followed by a 20-yard touchdown reception by tight end Ethan Wolf with 59 seconds remaining that drew the Vols within 21-17.
Dobbs then hit wide receiver Jauan Jennings for a juggling 67-yard score down the right sideline with 12:45 left in the game, giving Tennessee its first lead of the day as a crowd of 102,455 roared.
The next touchdown came less than 90 seconds later after an interception by Todd Kelly set the Vols up at the Gators' 42-yard line. Three plays later, Dobbs found Josh Malone on a slant and Malone outraced defenders for a 42-yard score and a 31-21 advantage. Dobbs tacked on the final score with 8:27 remaining on a 5-yard keeper.
Florida's offense, which moved skillfully up and down the field during the first half, grinded to a halt while Tennessee took command. The Gators (3-1, 1-1) didn't manage a first down in the second half until an 86-yard touchdown march concluded with a 10-yard pass from Austin Appleby to Freddie Swain with 4:17 left.
Appleby, who completed 23 of 39 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, got Florida off to a fast start with a 3-yard scoring pass to tight end DeAndre Goolsby 85 seconds into the game.
It became 14-0 when Appleby hit Jordan Cronkrite with a 15-yard touchdown pass with 14:10 left in the first half and 21-0 on Josh Scarlett's 1-yard plunge 5:12 before halftime.
The Vols managed just a 28-yard field goal by Aaron Medley late in the first half. But Dobbs, who finished with 319 yards passing and 80 on the ground, led them to their long-awaited win over their fiercest SEC East rival.
NOTES: This is the first time the teams met as unbeaten, ranked squads since 2012. ... Tennessee LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury that was supposed to sideline him for the remainder of the game, but he returned in the third quarter. ... Florida's defense entered the game allowing opponents to convert just 19 percent of their third down chances.
