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5 reasons the Gators blew a 21 point lead to the Vols
The Gators played not to lose and expected Tennessee to lay down, but they didn’t and ended the 11-year losing streak. Here’s 5 reasons why the Gators lost a game they should’ve won.
1. The Defense
The Gator defense looked like the best defense in the nation in the first half, holding Tennessee to just three points. But, in the second half, they got shredded like a high school defense giving up 325 yards – more than they gave up in the first three games of the season COMBINED.
Vols QB Joshua Dobbs picked apart the Gator secondary scoring five second half touchdowns.
2. The Offensive Play-Calling In The Second Half
After Jalen Tabor’s interception on Tennessee’s first series, the offensive play-calling totally changed and not in a good way. The Gators went three-and-out after running the ball three straight times. In the second half, the Florida offense had FOUR straight three-and-outs before recording a first down with 7:45 left in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Tennessee turned those into 35 second half points. What happened to the deep shots down the field that were working earlier?
You don’t normally win when you play conservative and try to “chew the clock” – a lesson the Gator offense learned the hard way.
3. The Gator offensive line
One big factor as to why the Gator offense couldn’t sustain any drives was the offensive line was getting beat up front. The Vols’ defense was much quicker in the second half and stuffed the Florida running plays time and time again. When the Gators weren’t running it, the o-line was allowing pressure to their quarterback Austin Appleby who made his worst decision of the day right after Tennessee took a 24-21 lead, which leads to my next point.
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4. Quarterback Austin Appleby
Now, I’m not placing all of the blame for this meltdown on Austin Appleby because he did play a great first half and made some great throws. But, Appleby looked like a true freshman in the second half especially on the first play after Tennessee took a 24-21 lead.
Instead of taking a sack and playing the next play, he decided to scramble backwards and threw a pass right into the hands of Tennessee safety Todd Kelly Jr.
Three plays later, UT receiver Josh Malone caught a pass over the middle and took it 42 yards to the house to extend the Vols lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter and that was really all they needed to end their 11 year losing streak to the Gators.
5. Coach Jim McElwain
Coach Mac and the offensive staff had a great game plan in the first half and it worked.
Then in the second half, it was like they threw their playbook out the window and failed to make ANY adjustments.
On the other hand, Tennessee made all the right adjustments in the second half which led to 35 second half points.
I know its not McElwain’s fault the defense had multiple busted coverages, but on offense he could’ve been a lot more aggressive and not so conservative in the second half. Did he just lose faith in Appleby all of a sudden?
McElwain is now 1-5 in games against ranked opponents as head coach at Florida.
The Gators will have to use this loss as motivation to come out even stronger next week when they face Vanderbilt next Saturday in Nashville.
This article originally appeared on 
