Florida Vs. Tennessee Final Score: Gators Win In Will Muschamp’s First SEC Game

Florida has its first SEC win under Will Muschamp. But the 33-23 triumph the Gators scored against Tennessee in The Swamp was not nearly as easy as it could have been.

The Gators survived a sloppy second half that included two Tyler Bray touchdown passes — Tennessee’s quarterback had three for the game — and the lion’s share of their staggering 15 penalties.

But Tennessee had virtually no answer for Chris Rainey, Florida’s dynamic speedster. Rainey rushed for 108 yards on a career-high 21 carries, added the longest touchdown reception in school history on an 83-yard catch-and-run, and blocked the fifth punt of his college career, and all of that despite briefly heading to the sideline with an apparent shoulder injury.

Tennessee sorely missed its best offensive weapon, Justin Hunter, who went out with a knee injury in the first quarter and did not return. Da’Rick Rogers (five catches, 62 yards, one touchdown) and Mychal Rivera (five catches, 71 yards, one touchdown) provided production, but the Vols couldn’t stretch the field without their deep threat, and couldn’t come back from a 30-7 hole in the third quarter because of it.

For more on Florida, head over to Alligator Army; for more on the Vols, check out Rocky Top Talk. For more on the SEC, visit Team Speed Kills. Stay tuned to our college football Week 3 StoryStream for up-to-the-minute updates from around the nation.