KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - There's just something about Tennessee that makes Brandon James go.
"I don't know what it is," James said. "I think I just get up for the rivalry and just try to bring my best game."
The UF running back and kick returner had another breathtaking return on Saturday, taking a punt for a 78-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.
The punt-return touchdown was the fourth in James' career, tying a UF record.
The Gators went up 17-0 at that point, and it was all but over for the Volunteers.
"That one felt like I was doing a too much juking and jiving, but it worked out in the end," James said.
James also said that might have been the best punt return of his career. He stopped in a crowd of Tennessee players, then sped up in an instant and found a hole.
The diminutive junior only touched the ball twice in the first half - the punt-return touchdown being the second - but he earned 130 yards for UF. Those 130 yards were 90 more than the Gators' offense tallied in the first quarter and 22 more than Florida got in the entire half.
"If you can hold a block for one second with a good punt returner, it's 10 yards," UF coach Urban Meyer said. "With Brandon James? Hold it for one second, and it might be more than that."
Scoring against Tennessee is not unusual for James.
In last season's contest, the 5-foot-7 James kicked off the Gators' 59-20 rout of the Volunteers with an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Neyland Stadium is also where James made his premier starting appearance for the Gators.
Earlier this week, Meyer relayed a story about how James first earned the starting punt-returner job one hour before the Tennessee game in 2006. Meyer was impressed with James' composure while fans were hurling obscenities their way before that game two years ago.
"I look at him and he starts doing the Gator chomp," Meyer said. "That kid is not intimidated by anything, so I grabbed him and I said, "You're the punt returner today.'"
James racked up 65 return yards on four punts including a long of 35.
After James' reputation for the big play was reaffirmed early on Saturday, he didn't get a touch until the third quarter. The Gators, expecting Tennessee to punt away from James, put James and wide receiver Percy Harvin deep to catch the punt. James called a fair catch the first time UF tried that strategy, but the second time led to some trickery.
James made the catch, then he and Harvin ran to the center of the field. James faked a pitch back to Harvin and took the ball for 14 yards to the Volunteers' 47-yard line.
"They're going to punt away from Brandon," Meyer said. "We'll probably do a bit more of that. … Those two back there can be lethal."
Meyer and James said they expect the Gators to try that scheme more as teams start to punt away from James.
During James' post-game interview, Meyer wedged his arm through a media crowd and doused James with water. The pride on Meyer's face was evident, and James laughed.
"Something's wrong with coach, man," James said, water running down his face. "I'm going to get him after this."
If James keeps up this high level of punt returning, he might be getting Meyer something else - wins.
