KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As the third quarter dwindled to its final seconds and Florida trailed Tennessee 9-0, Will Muschamp needed to make a change.
Starting quarterback Jeff Driskel already threw three interceptions on the day and had just 59 passing yards on 11 completions. The Gators’ offense totaled just 119 yards through nearly 45 minutes of play.
Production on offense was almost nonexistent while the defense continued to limited the Volunteers.
But with eight seconds left in that quarter — following a Jalen Tabor sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery — Treon Harris jogged onto the field.
Florida (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) rallied from that point to score 10 unanswered points to defeat Tennessee (2-3, 0-2 SEC) 10-9 at Neyland Stadium Saturday in front of a crowd of 102,455
“Treon, he obviously brought some energy to us,” Muschamp said. “Really proud of his composure coming in to a tough place and just doing an outstanding job.”
Harris only threw two completions for 17 yards in the fourth quarter, but the true freshman showed command of the offense during his time on the field.
Right before Harris took the field, Driskel went over and gave the freshman some words of advice.
“I mean, he was confident,” Driskel said. “I was just telling him ‘Go out there and play hard. Believe in yourself. Believe in what you’ve been coached to do.’ And that’s what he did today. He gave us a good spark.”
That spark came on his first possession, when Harris orchestrated a five-play, 30-yard drive capped by a two-yard Matt Jones touchdown run.
Harris’ first pass attempt went for 12 yards. He followed that up by showing off his mobility, gaining 10 yards with his feet for a second first down in as many plays. Jones reached the end zone after two rushes of 3 and 2 yards, respectively.
On Florida’s next offensive possession, the Gators took their first lead of the game on a 49-yard field goal from Austin Hardin. They kept it for good.
“As soon as it left my foot, I knew it was good,” Hardin said. “It was such a relief to come from a lot of adversity, have a solid spring, build on that.”
Florida’s defense, which struggled mightily in UF’s first two SEC games, had a solid outing against Tennessee.
After giving up 142 yards in the first half, the Gators limited the Volunteers to just 91 yards in the final 30 minutes.
UF sacked UT quarterback Justin Worley six times in the game and hurried him on three other occasions.
And while Florida turned the ball over three times throughout the game, its defense only allowed six points off of those turnovers.
“I tell our guys, ‘You’re the firemen. You better put the fire out,’” Muschamp said. “We don’t want to hear excuses. We aren’t pointing fingers.”
With the win, Florida now owns a 10-game win streak against Tennessee, winning those games by an average margin of 13.9 points.
“That says a lot about our guys coming on the road with perseverance, fighting through adversity. It was a great crowd out there.” Muschamp said. “They were into the game, excited. It was good to send them home disappointed.”
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Freshman quarterback Treon Harris directs players during the fourth quarter of Florida's 10-9 victory against Tennessee on Oct. 4 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
