Tebow leads Gators past Volunteers 30-6

Sunday, September 21, 2008
© Copyright 2013 Newton Citizen

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Under Urban Meyer, Florida has turned Tennessee into Gator Bait.

Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes and helped Meyer improve to 4-0 as Gators coach against the self-destructive Volunteers with a 30-6 victory Saturday, the second consecutive blowout for No. 4 Florida over its SEC East rival.

'I'm starting to like this team a little bit,' Meyer said of his Gators. 'I'm not going to say a lot, but I like this team a little bit because they know how to practice and are acting very mature right now.'

Meyer joins Steve Spurrier as the only coach to defeat a Phillip Fulmer-lead Tennessee team in four consecutive seasons.

Florida took control on the first play of the game with a 52-yard kickoff return by Brandon James.

The Gators (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) were soon in the end zone, with Tebow flipping a 2-yard pass over the top of the line of scrimmage to Aaron Hernandez for a 7-0 lead five minutes into the game.

James, who rank back a punt for a touchdown in last season's 59-20 Gators' victory against the Vols, returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to put Florida up 17-0 with 4:42 in the first quarter. At least five Vols defenders missed James as he blew by them.

Tennessee (1-2, 0-1) responded with nothing but mistakes, and Fulmer fell to 5-12 against Florida.

Vols fans showered their team with boos and started exiting en masse in the third quarter.

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