Associated Press
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ó Florida took control on the opening kickoff and it didn’t take long for Tennessee to become Gator Bait again.
No. 4 Florida beat its SEC East rival for the fourth consecutive year, a 30-6 rout of the self-destructive Volunteers on Saturday.
“We just came out and played relentless,” said linebacker Brandon Spikes, who earlier in the week had accused the Vols of quitting in last season’s 59-20 blowout. “If we come out every week and do that it’s going to be tough on opponents.”
The Gators (3-0, 1-0) haven’t lost to the Vols since Urban Meyer became coach in 2005. Meyer also improved to 8-1 against Florida’s three biggest rivals ó Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State, while joining former top Gator Steve Spurrier as the only coach to defeat a Phillip Fulmer-lead Tennessee team in four straight seasons.
Brandon James went 52 yards for Florida with the opening kickoff and soon after the Gators were in the end zone. Tim Tebow flipped 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’s had four career punt returns for touchdowns, 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.
“I thought the one against Hawaii was the best one I’d seen,” Meyer said of James, who also had a TD punt return last season against the Vols. “He topped it with this one. He even said to me that might have been his best.”
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.
“There’s probably not anybody happy with me right now,” Fulmer said. “There’s probably not anybody happy with the quarterback right now. In this case, I said from the beginning, it’s my responsibility and I’ll take that.
“A couple of things I’d probably boo too.”