Saturday, September 21, 2013 03:30 PM (ET)

Recap: Florida 31, Tennessee 17

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 21, 2013


No. 18 Florida 31, Tennessee 17: Tyler Murphy came off the bench to pass for 134 yards and a touchdown and rush for 84 yards and a score as the host Gators overcame a sluggish start to rout the Volunteers.

Mack Brown added 86 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and Matt Jones also had a rushing score for Florida (2-1, 1-0 SEC East). The Gators turned in another stellar defensive effort, holding Tennessee (2-2, 0-1) to 220 total yards and forcing six turnovers.

Redshirt freshman Nathan Peterman started at quarterback for the Volunteers but went 4-for-11 for 5 yards and threw two interceptions in the first half before being replaced by junior Justin Worley. Worley, who started the first three games, went 10-for-23 for 149 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Murphy was pressed into action after starting quarterback Jeff Driskel was knocked out in the first quarter with a fractured right fibula that will require season-ending surgery. The injury came when Driskel was hit while delivering a pass that Devaun Swafford intercepted and returned 62 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Tennessee lead.

The Gators took control from there, taking a 10-7 lead on Murphy's 52-yard touchdown pass to Solomon Patton and making it 17-7 on Brown's 3-yard scoring run just before halftime. Tennessee pulled within a touchdown on Michael Palardy's 44-yard field goal on the opening possession of the third quarter, but the Gators put together a pair of 11-play scoring drives to put it away.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Gators have won nine straight meetings, their longest winning streak in the series. … Florida has not opened SEC play with a loss since 2004, when it lost 30-28 at Tennessee. … Tennessee forced three turnovers and has matched last season's total with 12 takeaways.

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