University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Notes: #8/9 Tennessee 23, Florida 17 (OT)
October 12, 2024 | Football
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Oct. 12, 2024 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 8/9 Tennessee 23, Florida 17 (OT)
General Notes
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
Oct. 12, 2024 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 8/9 Tennessee 23, Florida 17 (OT)
General Notes
- Saturday's attendance at Neyland Stadium: 101,915 (sold out)
- The contest marked Tennessee's 16th consecutive sellout in Neyland Stadium.
- Saturday was the eighth #CheckerNeyland in program history, showcasing UT's iconic checkerboard pattern throughout Neyland Stadium. Tennessee has won three straight games when hosting the fan-driven initiative.
- Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 881-415-53 with Saturday's win (NCAA record: 870-415-53).
- Josh Heupel earned his 60th career victory as head coach, including 32 wins at Tennessee and 38 at UCF. His 60 wins since the start of the 2018 season rank sixth among active FBS coaches.
- The Vols won their fifth consecutive SEC home opener and improved to 4-0 in SEC home openers under Heupel, having outscored opponents 147-90 in those contests.
- Tennessee has earned back-to-back home wins against Florida for the first time since 1990-92. Combining with Saturday's victory, the Vols last defeated the Gators in Knoxville, 38-33, in 2022.
- Heupel improved to a 15-3 record following a loss in the same season with Saturday's win over Florida, including a 10-2 mark at Tennessee and 5-1 record at UCF.
- Tennessee owns a 21-4 record in Neyland Stadium under Heupel and has won 16 of its last 17 games in the venue.
- The Vols have been especially successful in night games at Neyland Stadium, winning seven consecutive such contests.
- The last time Tennessee rallied from a double-digit deficit to win was on Sept. 10, 2022, at Pittsburgh, when it trailed 10-0 and 17-7 in the first half of an eventual 34-27 overtime victory.
- That contest at Pittsburgh was the last overtime affair for the Volunteers, who have now won back-to-back overtime contests.
- The Volunteers' last victory after trailing by double digits in the second half was on Jan. 2, 2020, against Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. Tennessee trailed 22-9 in the fourth quarter of an eventual 23-22 triumph.
- Tennessee's most recent "walk-off" win came on Oct. 15, 2022, when it knocked off No. 3/1 Alabama, 52-49, on a field goal by Chase McGrath with 0:00 left in regulation.Â
- Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: LB Keenan Pili, C Cooper Mays, DT Omari Thomas, LS Matthew Salansky
- Florida won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Tennessee received the opening kickoff, and Florida defended the north end zone.
- Before the overtime session, Tennessee won the toss and elected to begin on defense. Both possessions took place in front of the north end zone.
- Linebackers Kalib Perry and Jeremiah Telander and defensive end Tyre West made their first career starts on Saturday. Tennessee has had 12 first-time starters this season, including eight on defense and four on offense.
- The Vols gained 312 yards on Saturday, eclipsing 300 yards of total offense for the 43rd time in 45 games of the Josh Heupel era.
- Junior RB Dylan Sampson was magnificent for the Vols once again, toting 27 carries for 112 yards for three touchdowns. All three of his scores came in the second half and overtime.
- Sampson reached the end zone with 2:57 left in the third quarter, giving him six consecutive games–each one this season–with a touchdown. The last Tennessee player with a rushing touchdown in six straight contests was Montario Hardesty, who did so in the opening six games of the 2009 season.
- Sampson added another rushing score with 9:42 left in the fourth quarter. He then tacked on another rushing score in overtime to seal the win.
- Sampson reached the end zone with 2:57 left in the third quarter, giving him six consecutive games–each one this season–with a touchdown. The last Tennessee player with a rushing touchdown in six straight contests was Montario Hardesty, who did so in the opening six games of the 2009 season.
- This is the fifth time in six appearances this year Sampson has scored multiple touchdowns on the ground, including the third time he has posted at least three rushing scores.
- Sampson now has 28 career rushing touchdowns as a Volunteer, tied with Stanley Morgan (1973-76) for fourth place all-time at Tennessee.
- Sampson's figure is the highest total by a Volunteer running back in the last 30 years (1995-2024), as only quarterback Joshua Dobbs (32 from 2013-16) has more during that time.
- With 15 rushing touchdowns in 2024, Sampson moved into sole possession of fourth place on the program's single-season leaderboard. He passed 14 players on the night, after entering in a nine-way tie for the No. 10 spot.
- Sampson's 15 rushing scores are the most in a single season by a Volunteer since 1990 when Tony Thompson had 16. The only other players with more are Reggie Cobb (17 in 1987) and Gene McEver (18 in 1929). Per ESPN, his 15Â rushing touchdowns are the most through six games by an SEC player since 1992.
- Sampson notched his ninth career 100-yard game on the ground and fifth of the season. His nine career 100-yard games are tied with Tauren Poole (2008-11) and Arian Foster (2005-08) for the 10th most in Tennessee history.
- Tennessee has held its opponent under 20 points in eight straight games, dating back to last year's 48-14 Vanderbilt win. It marks the first time UT has accomplished the feat in its first six games of a season since 1969, when it held seven straight opponents under 20 points to start that year.
- Tennessee finished with 12 tackles for loss on the night and had 12 different players record at least half a tackle for loss.
- For the seventh consecutive game, dating back to the final outing of the 2023 campaign, the Tennessee defense did not concede a first-half touchdown.
- Sophomore LB Arion Carter logged his first career interception at the 2:47 mark remaining in the third quarter, marking the third interception of the season for the Volunteers.
- Senior DL Bryson Eason led Tennessee's dozen players with at least a half a tackle for loss by finishing with two. That mark tied the career high he set on Sept. 2, 2021, versus Bowling Green.
- Backed up to the UT 1-yard line with 3:18 left in the first half, DL James Pearce Jr. kept the Gators out of the end zone with a forced fumble and recovery. It was the third forced fumble and first fumble recovery of his career.
- PK Max Gilbert connected on a 35-yard field goal with 1:37 remaining in the third quarter, marking his sixth consecutive mark and pushing his season total to 11-of-12.Â
- P Jackson Ross punted seven times for a total of 319 yards, good for an average of 45.6 yards per boot. He notched a long mark of 53 on the day.
- Ross' 319 punting yards marked the second-highest total of his career, while his seven punts tied his second-highest ledger.
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
- TE Ethan Davis
- 2 receptions (ties career high)
- RB Dylan Sampson
- 27 rushing attempts
- LB Arion Carter
- 1 interception (first of career)
- DB Boo Carter
- 7 tackles
- 1 sack
- 1.5 TFLs
- DB Christian Charles
- 1 TFL (ties career high)
- DL Bryson Eason
- 2 TFLs (ties career high)
- DB Rickey Gibson III
- 6 tackles
- 1 PBU (ties career high)
- DL Joshua Josephs
- 7 tackles
- 1.5 TFLs
- 1 pass breakup (ties career-high)
- DL James Pearce Jr.
- 1 forced fumble (ties career high)
- 1 fumble recovery (first of career)
- LB Kalib Perry
- 1 forced fumble (first of career)
- LB Jalen Smith
- 4 tackles
- DB Andre Turrentine
- 6 tackles
Players Mentioned
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PK
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