Halftime Hash Marks: Looking at how Florida kept things close vs. Tennessee
The first half of college football action between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers is in the books and looking back at the first 30 minutes of play the halftime tally is not quite what many expected. The Gators were able to slow down the Vols’ high-octane offense while quarterback Anthony Richardson looked much improved over his past two performances.
However, Florida still finished on the wrong side of the scoreboard heading into the locker room, though being down only 17-14 has to feel like a moral victory for Billy Napier’s boys. The Orange and Blue have plenty to build on heading into the second half as the two SEC East rivals continue to grind it out on the gridiron.
Take a look below at Gators Wire’s breakdown of the first half of Week 4’s premier event as the Gators trail the Vols by just a touchdown on the road in Neyland Stadium.
Florida comes up with a big fumble recovery early
[autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] clenched his fist and socked the ball right out of Princeton Fant’s hands and Te’Vez Johnson landed on the ball for the turnover to stop a deep drive into Florida territory. The Vols were certain to put some points on the board but the Orange and Blue turned them away with a big steal.
The low scoring first half gave the Gators an edge
Particularly in the first quarter, the Gators were able to slow down Heupel’s high-powered offense thanks to a key turnover and some timely defense, holding the Vols to a lonely field goal after 15 minutes. Despite the two touchdowns scored in the second quarter, Florida still managed to control the ball well enough to keep things in hand.
The Richardson vs Hooker matchup has been everything it was expected to be
Both quarterbacks looked solid in the first half, with Richardson seemingly more comfortable in the hostile confines of Neyland Stadium, while Hooker went about business as usual against the Gators’ defense. The former went 11-for-20 with 220 yards passing while scampering for 42 yards on 9 carries while the latter was even better, going 13-for-17 with 247 yards along with 60 yards on eight carries.
Florida's offensive line took some time to coalesce
The front line for the Gators struggled to make room for the running backs early but started to get its footing in the second quarter. Still, it was Anthony Richardson who helped kickstart the ground game while the rest of the corps lagged behind in production.
Keon Zipperer showed some Kyle Pitts tenacity on his touchdown
After Tennessee took a 7-3 lead, the Gators drove down the field and scored its first passing touchdown of the season when tight end Keon Zipperer bulldozed and spin-moved around several defenders en route to the end zone.
WATCH: Florida’s TE Keon Zipperer battles for big touchdown
Florida did itself no favors giving up those big plays
Not long after that Zipperer score, Florida surrendered a big play — a 70-yard reception by Bru McCoy — that led to another touchdown for Tennessee, taking the lead back with a 10-7 score. Then with less than a minute remaining, Ramel Keyton caught a 43-yard toss that ultimately led to the touchdown that gave the Vols the lead heading into the locker room.
Zach Pearsall made some big plays too
Zipper and McCoy were not the only ones to make big plays. Gators’ wide receiver caught a pair of catches for 60 yards, with the longer of two going for 38 yards. Both were clutch catches for Florida that helped push the ball down field and keep it out of the Vols’ hands.
The entire wide receiver corps looked good
The Gators’ passing game looked much improved over the past couple of weeks thanks to both a full effort from six different pass-catchers as well as Richardson’s recent revival. The mobile quarterback’s ability to make room for himself on the ground undoubtedly helped open up the air attack.
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