Why Tennessee fans had wildly different reactions to beating Florida
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Some Tennessee football fans enjoyed every second of a 31-11 win over Florida while others expressed dissatisfaction.
How could that be? That was an intriguing question that came from the Vols mailbag.
On Nov. 22, the Vols beat the Gators in Gainesville for the first time since 2003. And they did it by matching the largest winning margin for a UT team at Florida in series history.
However, UT was scoreless in the second half, allowing a 31-0 lead to settle into a 31-11 victory. That didn’t sit right with some fans.
No. 12 Tennessee (8-3, 4-3 SEC) plays No. 18 Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2) on Nov. 29 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium to finish the regular season.
But before turning to that final home game, let’s look back at the win over Florida in the Vols mailbag.
Vols should’ve won by 50. Why did they let up?
Your question summed up the thoughts of many in the mailbag. Fans wanted a bigger winning margin, four quarters of dominance and aggressive play-calling late in the game. They were frustrated at the end.
I actually had to remind some fans that UT won by 20, but that angered them.
It was a stark contrast to what I witnessed of fans basking in the victory at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. But I have a theory about the gap in reactions.
UT fans wanted retribution for the past 10 losses in The Swamp. Fans who attended the game got that throughout the evening. They saw Florida fans shout in frustration, cower in defeat and exit the stadium early. A scoreless second half didn’t change that.
UT fans watching on TV didn’t get that first-hand experience. They wanted more points and a bigger margin for satisfaction. Fans in The Swamp didn’t need that. They experienced victory by looking at disgusted Florida fans around them.
Why did Josh Heupel take his foot off the gas?
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel wanted to score more points in the second half. But his top priority was winning the game and remaining healthy for the Vanderbilt game. That required milking the clock and keeping Florida from gaining any significant momentum.
Keep in mind that he knew the history of past trips to The Swamp.
UT had only three possessions in the second half. It ran the ball, protected quarterback Joey Aguilar from taking hits and burned 17 minutes off the clock.
Heupel was indeed conservative in the second half. But he could afford to be. Enjoy the win.
Why did Josh Heupel settle for a field goal before halftime?
I thought it was impressive that UT went 72 yards in 1 minute, 15 seconds despite completing only one pass on that drive.
Heupel could’ve called a timeout earlier and attempted a pass in the end zone, and it looked like he was mildly frustrated in the outcome. Clock mismanagement is still an issue.
But I think he ultimately recognized there were guaranteed points with a short field goal, and he prioritized that. The difference between leading 31-0 or 35-0 at halftime seems negligible.
What’s helped Ethan Davis thrive late this season?
Tight end Ethan Davis is finally healthy and available after missing four games due to what he called a “nerve related” injury.
Davis has always been an athletic talent who can exploit mismatches. And with starting tight end Miles Kitselman out with an injury, Davis got more opportunities.
Davis has 13 catches for 171 and two TDs in the past four games since returning from injury. And he’s shown that he can be UT’s primary tight end next season.
How did UT finally hold an SEC opponent under 30 points?
Florida’s offensive line played poorly. Its best skill players were either ineffective or injured. And quarterback DJ Lagway wasn’t poised enough to overcome that.
But for UT’s side of that equation, defensive coordinator Tim Banks called some well-timed blitzes, and the Vols won one-on-one matchups up front.
Linebackers Arion Carter, Jeremiah Telander and Edwin Spillman landed violent hits on Florida ball-carriers to set the tone. And the Vols’ defensive line overwhelmed the Gators.
In short, UT prepared well and played well. And it took advantage of a weaker opponent.
Does this win affect Tennessee’s chances of beating Vandy?
It’s a confidence boost. Some teams out of playoff contention are limping to the finish line, but this game showed that the Vols aren’t among them.
It also sent a message to UT fans back at Neyland Stadium that there’s plenty to play for in the regular-season finale.
How does Tennessee match up with Diego Pavia?
It’ll take four quarters of disciplined play. Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia is a savvy quarterback, an effective runner and a good decision maker. He’s also become a very accurate passer this season.
Unlike Lagway, Pavia has a strong supporting cast around him. And also unlike Lagway, he can make UT pay for minor mistakes.
What’s are the odds that Aguilar wins the lawsuit, returns in 2026?
These cases involving NCAA rules are very unpredictable. It often depends on the judge who’s deciding the case.
Timing of a resolution is also important. The transfer portal opens Jan. 2. Players who could potentially return for an additional season need to know their options by then, and so do their teams.
Would Josh Heupel want Joey Aguilar back next season?
Don’t expect Heupel to address that until there’s a resolution and he knows all his options. Quarterback succession plans can be very delicate, especially if something is said in haste.
But Heupel is a “bird in the hand” type coach. He often prioritizes retaining players, especially if they’re successful and understand his system. Aguilar fits that bill, so I think Heupel would want him back.
Of course, Heupel would need to discuss it with his other quarterbacks and take their temperature on that possibility.
What are Tennessee’s priority positions in the portal?
For starters, that depends on which players declare for the NFL draft and whether any promising players enter the portal to leave UT.
I think UT must add defensive backs and defensive linemen. After that, it really depends on who’s returning next season from this team.
Where does Aguilar fall among recent Vols QBs with this win?
Good question. We know that this is a bad Florida team, but that fact may fade over time. Of course, the rivalry element of this game likely will also fade.
That being said, Aguilar did what no other UT quarterback could do since 2003. He won in The Swamp. And his name will be prominent in the UT record book after this season.
Aguilar isn’t Hendon Hooker, but he’s been a very good one-hit wonder. We’ll see if his tenure here extends beyond this season.
Why did sports writers pick Florida to beat Tennessee?
I think it was pretty universal that we weren’t going to pick UT to win at Florida until we actually saw it happen in a recent trip. So maybe that impacts our pick next time.
But we had picked UT to win this game before and been burned too many times. So we didn’t mind being wrong once, and this was the year for that.
What happened to Braylon Staley?
Wide receiver Braylon Staley was targeted only once, and he caught that pass for a 10-yard gain. Staley had averaged 6.4 catches in the previous five games, but Florida focused on limiting his touches.
But UT only attempted 22 passes, and 10 of those went to tight ends. It was just a different game plan against a different defensive approach than recent games. And the Vols were happy to move the ball in other ways en route to the win.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football fans had wildly different reactions to beating Florida
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