Tennessee walked away from The Swamp with a loss, but it may have laid the foundation for how to slow down Florida's potent offense.
The Volunteers brought pressure up the middle and largely shut down the Gators running game, forcing quarterback Tim Tebow to find receivers that struggled to get open.
"We put together a blueprint to slow down the No. 1 offense in the country with by far the most talent," Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said. "Every time they touch the ball you hold your breath because they are so fast. I thought the plan on defense was great, I thought it was executed great, but at the end of day, Superman is back there throwing the ball and you have to find out a way to tackle him."
With deep threat Deonte Thompson out with a hamstring injury, UF failed to provide Tebow with targets down field.
Riley Cooper, David Nelson and Brandon James combined for eight catches and none of the three found their way into the end zone. Tebow threw for just 115 yards.
"We have to get better at receiver. We have to keep recruiting receiver. We've had a little bit of a drop off," UF coach Urban Meyer said. "When you pull Deonte Thompson out of the lineup, there's a little bit of a dip right now."
The UT defensive front put pressure on Tebow all day, and All-American safety Eric Berry patrolled the secondary, coming away with 11 tackles and an interception.
The UF offensive line was bullied at times and gave up three sacks for 23 yards.
Without a vertical passing game to rely on, Tebow put the offensive load on his shoulder carrying the ball 24 times for 105 yards and a touchdown.
"That's our crutch, the Tim Tebow show," Meyer said. "I would rather not do that and pound and pound and pound him. I think we have talented enough running backs that we can do that."
