It didn’t matter that the Florida Gators had a coach on the hot seat. Them being unranked at Neyland Stadium while Tennessee Football was in the top 10 didn’t matter either. When UF took a 10-0 lead midway through the third quarter over the Vols, there was no way they would come back to win this game.
How could they?
UT’s offense had been shut out in five of six quarters to that point. The Vols had failed to score a touchdown in seven of their last eight quarters and were going on eight of nine. They were also coming off a loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Then there’s the fact that this is Florida, and they own UT.
So when Graham Mertz threw a touchdown pass to Arlis Boardingham, and was knocked out of the game in the process due to injury, Florida’s ownership of Rocky Top was set to continue. However, Nico Iamaleava, after playing horrible, finally found life.
The play of the game was honestly the first play of that drive. Iamaleava hit Chas Nimrod for a 14-yard reception out of bounds. It was minor, but given what happened to that point, it’s what the Vols needed. After a healthy dose of Dylan Sampson, Iamalaeva then hit Chris Brazzell II for a 23-yard completion.
Sampson did the rest of the work, scoring a touchdown on 4th and inches near the goal line. This put the crowd right back in it, which set up Arion Carter’s interception on the next drive, one in which the Vols got a field goal to tie it up. They scored the go-ahead touchdown two drives later.
Although Tennessee Football still had to eek out a win in overtime after that, the game doesn’t get to overtime without that drive. It showed a level of resolve and mental toughness in Iamaleava who, despite a rough night, was able to do just enough to keep the Vols in it. That’s what the drive was the turning point.
