Florida clinches SEC East with win over Tennessee: 3 takeaways from Gators rout of Vols

Florida football defeated Tennessee football to clinch the SEC East outright on Saturday night.

Florida had no issues getting past Tennessee to win the SEC East division crown.

The No. 6 Florida Gators handled the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville to the tune of 31-19. While running the football was not something the Gators could lean on, they still have Heisman Trophy frontrunner Kyle Trask at quarterback, who carved up the Vols defense like we all thought he would. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Florida winning the SEC East on Saturday.

Three takeaways from Florida’s win over Tennessee

3. Kyle Pitts was amazing per usual, but so was Kadarius Toney.

Part of why Florida’s passing attack is so strong is it has arguably the best tight end in college football in Kyle Pitts. While he has dealt with injuries this season, he was back to his typical John Mackey award front-running self. He had seven catches for a team-best 128 yards. Not to be outdone, wide receiver Kadarius Toney had his own phenomenal day vs. the Vols defense.

Toney had a team-high eight catches for 108 yards and one touchdown. This aerial triple threat of Pitts, Toney and Trask make the Gators one of the very best teams in the country. While the ground game only managed 19 yards on 17 carries vs. Tennessee, being able to move the sticks seemingly at will was the reason the Gators were able to come out of Neyland Stadium with a win.

2. Let’s be real. Tennessee still has no earthly idea what it is doing at quarterback.

Saturday was supposed to be the start of a new era of quarterbacking for Tennessee. Freshman Harrison Bailey got the start over senior Jarrett Guarantano. While he was not expected to lead the Vols to victory over the heavily favored Gators, we did not expect Tennessee to have four different players attempt passes and not one of them was Guarantano. What is going on here?

Bailey completed 14-of-21 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. JT Shrout was slightly better than Bailey on the day, as he completed 12-of-14 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. Brian Maurer had an eight-yard completion, while punter Paxton Brooks even attempted a pass. Quarterback issues are a microcosm of why Tennessee has lost its last six football games.

1. You better believe Dan Mullen wants Kyle Trask to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy.

While we all know it will ultimately be decided, depending on how the SEC Championship game between Florida and the Alabama Crimson Tide shakes out, Trask is the frontrunner and the favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy. However, if Florida loses to Alabama, Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones may end up winning college football’s most prestigious individual honor.

The good news for the Gators and Trask’s Heisman candidacy is head coach Dan Mullen let him sling it on Saturday evening. Trask completed 35-of-49 yards for 433 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. While we hoped for a more balanced offensive attack from Florida, with it being so pass-heavy, it definitely shows us that Mullen wants Trask to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy.

From a team perspective, Florida is a lock to make a New Year’s Six bowl for the third straight season, regardless of what happens in Atlanta. The Gators do need to beat the Crimson Tide to make the playoff for the first time. As for Tennessee, it is starting to feel like Jeremy Pruitt is not the answer for Rocky Top’s continued head-coaching woes. The Vols are such a mess right now.

While Florida’s season is just getting started, it is pretty much over for Tennessee.

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