The Florida Gators (2-1, 1-0) defeated the 11th ranked Tennessee Volunteers (2-1, 0-1) 29-16 on Saturday night in Gainesville. For Florida, it was their tenth straight home victory in the series.
Trailing 7-6 at the end of one, Florida took control of this game in the second quarter. They scored 20 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 26-7 lead into halftime. That would be more then enough for the Gators, who defensively kept Tennessee off-balance all game long.
Graham Mertz went 19-for-24 with 166 yards and a touchdown passing. Trevor Etienne dominated the run game for Florida, rushing for 172 yards and a score.
The Gators are next in action when they host a non-conference game in Charlotte next Saturday. Kickoff from Gainesville between Florida and Charlotte is scheduled for 7:00 PM on September 23rd.
PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES