Not enough is made about game flow in football. It’s the way the game is going—consider it the vibe, tempo and general state of things over the four quarters. It can often dictate how and why decisions are made by certain teams and it guides why some production ends up looking the way it does at game’s end. In Florida’s 29–16 win over Tennessee, the way the Gators managed the game tells the story of how they won it, especially in the first half.
Tennessee scored in its typical lightning-quick pace on its first drive of the game, but the bulk of the first two quarters saw the Volunteers’ offense literally sidelined, with only 22 plays ran as Florida attempted—and succeeded—to run the ball effectively and chew clock from the very beginning of the game, instead of just entering that mode later in the game. It’s evidence of a team who came in with a clear plan and was able to execute it. The Gators used frequent misdirection on top of their two-headed rushing attack with Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne to essentially play keep-away, and limit the chances for Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton to showcase his rocket arm. Florida went into the break with a 26–7 lead and just sat on it in the second half, throwing the ball four times in the second stanza (in part due to injuries to both of quarterback Graham Mertz’s hands) and leaning on a defense that is clearly improved from last year’s squad.
After an error-prone season-opening loss to Utah by the Gators, it was Tennessee which had flags short-circuit drives on offense and give Florida new life at times. Florida had two penalties on the first offensive drive and then didn’t have another one on offense or defense until the fourth quarter. Tennessee, on the other hand, had penalties in key situations, including an admittedly questionable blindside block call and a brutal offsides penalty with about seven minutes to go when Florida was clearly baiting them to jump. The Vols also had to burn timeouts early in the third quarter to avoid procedural mishaps. Tennessee was clearly still missing center Cooper Mays, who is still yet to play after having surgery last month.
This Tennessee offense seems a far cry from last year’s, as Joe Milton is still trying to get his sea legs under him as a complete quarterback. A fatal flaw of his remains what happens when things break down and he can’t launch the ball. The broadcast stated he has never thrown a touchdown while on the move outside of the pocket. The Vols would have certainly cracked our top 10 had they won, but they didn’t. Here’s how things stack up without them.
