Broken Florida football program hits another low in loss to rival Tennessee

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Before a sea of empty bleachers, Florida football played out the final 10 minutes of its lopsided 31-11 loss to No. 20 Tennessee at The Swamp like a high school game with a running clock.

The sellout crowd stuck around long enough to sing Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" at the end of the third quarter before flooding the exits with the Florida Gators trailing 31-3.

A weekend that began with national reports of LSU taking the lead over Florida in the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes ended with a stinker on the field. Not only did UF's 10-game win streak against the Vols at The Swamp come to an end, but it happened in humiliating fashion.

Tennessee raced to a 28-0 lead by the 9:14 mark in the second quarter, scoring on its first four offensive possessions. The Vols scored four touchdowns before Florida got a first down, as UF went three-and-out on its first three offensive series.

The loss dropped Florida to 3-8 overall and 0-4 under interim coach Billy Gonzales, who wore the latest loss, answering each question postgame in hushed, measured tones.

"Sometimes life has to break you completely before you truly discover who you are," Gonzales said. "And that kind of resonates with me in talking to the players."

How did Florida football get to this point?

Florida is a broken program. If the Gators don't beat rival Florida State in their season finale on Nov. 29 at The Swamp (4:30 p.m., ESPN2), they will finish with their worst record since going 0-10-1 in 1979.

Gonzales is a nice man who cares, but it appears that some players and coaches around him who were loyal to Billy Napier have checked out. There were rumblings before Napier was fired about who UF could trust as an interim coach. The 54-year-old Gonzales was picked, based on his loyalty to UF that stretched over parts of 20 years under three different coaches.

"I'll take the loss for the players every game, no matter what it's going to be," Gonzales said. "So. I'll continue that process. But we've got to get better. And does it hurt, absolutely."

It had to hurt Gonzales that UF's putrid showing came in front of his mentor, Urban Meyer, who first brought him to UF in 2005. Meyer was honored for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame at the end of the first quarter. Florida then announced that the 61-year-old Meyer, who led UF to SEC and national titles in 2006 and 2008, will be inducted in The Swamp's Ring of Honor next year.

"Whoever's here is here," Gonzales said. "Obviously, I think it was awesome he had an opportunity to be recognized. I think that's special for Coach. I think the world of him."

Florida hasn't won an SEC or national title since Meyer's 2008 team. Four different coaches have flamed out over the last 14 years. Perhaps that gives Kiffin some pause in his decision to either stay at Ole Miss, go to LSU or land at Florida. Does Kiffin want to inherit this mess?

One player who didn't quit was Florida sophomore running back Jadan Baugh, who finished with 96 yards rushing, 35 yards receiving and scored UF's lone TD on a 33-yard catch when he sprung wide open on a wheel route in the fourth quarter. By then, the stands were empty and eerily quiet.

"It's been difficult the whole season," Baugh said. "But we continue to just keep coming in the facility and giving our best. To the game, Florida State, it's another day in the office, going in there, keeping our head on straight, and preparing the right way."

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Why Florida football stumbled to another low in loss to Vols at The Swamp

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