Florida increased its winning streak over Tennessee to 11 games and did so in dramatic fashion.
Down 27-21 and facing a fourth-and-14 with 1:26 to play, Gators redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier hit Antonio Callaway for the game-winning 64-yard touchdown. Callaway, a true freshman, made a man miss and was freed up on a big clock from Brandon Powell to give Florida a 28-27 lead.
Here's how the big play sounded on Gator IMG Sports Network:
Tennessee had a chance for a game-winning field goal, but after some shaky time management, Aaron Medley’s 55-yard attempt sailed just right to give the Gators a wild win.
The Vols led nearly the entire game and looked to have the game in hand when a 10-yard Jalen Hurd (102 yards, 2 TDs) touchdown run opened up a 27-14 lead (Butch Jones curiously opted not to go for two) with 10:19 to play, but a Florida offense that had struggled all day responded. Grier led a 17-play, 86-yard drive that was capped off with a five-yard touchdown pass to Powell, cutting UT’s lead to 27-21 with 4:09 to play.
Tennessee’s next drive quickly went three-and-out, giving the Gators more than two minutes to take a lead. The Vols’ defense was up to the challenge at first – forcing a four-yard loss and back-to-back incomplete passes.
That set the stage for the dramatic Grier-to-Callaway connection, which gives Florida a surprising 4-0 record, including two SEC East wins, in year one under Jim McElwain.
The loss is another heartbreaker for Tennessee, which blew a double-digit second half lead for the second time in three weeks, dropping to 2-2 in the process.
Tennessee was a trendy pick to win the SEC East, but it is already off to a rough start with games against Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama on the horizon.
For more Florida news, visit InsideTheGators.com.
For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!