By Anthony Cloud
Vols Weekly
The Tennessee-Florida rivalry has been a decades-long feud between two storied franchises in college football. While Alabama-Auburn or even Georgia-Florida has gotten the headlines in recent years, those inside the border of Tennessee circle the game against the Gators every year the schedule is released.
In the 90s, this rivalry had high importance in the national landscape with both teams being regular contenders for the national championship. To date, Florida leads the rivalry 31-21 and has the longest streak in the series, defeating the Vols from 2005-15.
This year’s game will take place inside the Swamp, a place Tennessee hasn’t won since 2003. In many cases, it’s been the quarterback who has determined the outcome of these games. As we inch closer to this year’s showdown on Saturday, let’s take a look back at the top three Tennessee QB performances in this series.
Honorable Mention – Casey Clausen (2001)
Just a few years removed from their national championship run, Tennessee battled Florida for a trip to the SEC Championship game. The game took place in December because of the Sept. 11 attacks. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead, the Vols allowed the Gators to score 20 unanswered points to have a 6-point deficit heading into halftime. Touchdowns by Travis Stephens and Jabari Davis (2) gave Tennessee a 34-26 lead in the fourth quarter. Despite a late surge by Florida, the Vols held out for a 34-32 victory. Casey Clausen had a good game, going 17-for-25 for 168 yards and a touchdown. The win earned Tennessee a trip to the SEC title game, which the Vols lost to LSU. Tennessee defeated Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, 45-17.
Joshua Dobbs (2016)
After being in a sea of despair, Tennessee fans saw a bright light by way of the 2016 season. Just two years after going 6-6 (3-5 in the SEC), Vol fans had hope headed into the year. After starting 3-0, Tennessee fans started seeing the usual trend early in the Florida game. Headed into halftime, the Vols trailed 21-3. Josh Dobbs took control of the game in the second half to help outscore the Gators 35-7 in the second half en route to a 38-28 victory. Dobbs finished the game with 319 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He added 80 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The win helped bolster Tennessee to a 9-4 (4-4 in the SEC) season and a 38-24 victory over Nebraska in the Music City Bowl.
Hendon Hooker (2022)
We couldn’t have this list and not include Hendon Hooker. Fresh off a 7-6 campaign, Tennessee fans felt promise behind the QB play of Hooker. After three warm-up games, the Vols held a 3-0 record heading into their clash with Florida. Holding a slight 17-14 edge at halftime, Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright combined for three scores to give the Vols a 38-21 lead late in the fourth. Tennessee was able to hold on for a 38-33 victory. Hooker finished the game with 349 yards and two touchdowns through the air while adding 112 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The win helped propel the Vols to an 11-2 record and a season that saw Tennessee reach No. 1 in the rankings. Tennessee defeated Clemson in the Orange Bowl, 31-14.
Peyton Manning (1996)
Peyton Manning will go down as one of Tennessee’s greatest quarterbacks of all time, and his game against the Gators in 1996 helped him make that case. Per the usual, both the Vols and Florida entered the game undefeated. By halftime, it looked like Florida would run away with the game as they held a 35-6 advantage over Tennessee. Behind some strong play by Manning, the Vols scored 23 unanswered points in the second half, coming up short in a 35-29 defeat. Manning finished the game with 492 yards and four touchdowns. Despite the loss, Tennessee still finished the year 10-2 and claimed a 48-28 victory over Northwestern in the Citrus Bowl.
Anthony Cloud is a former four-time Kentucky Press Association award winner and a lifelong Tennessee fan. Follow him on Facebook at Vols Weekly.
Comments