Just when quarterback Chris Leak’s arm seemed like it would be enough to give No. 11 Florida a win, it was James Wilhoit’s leg that would change it all.
After missing an extra point that cost the No. 13 Volunteers a fourth-quarter tie, Wilhoit followed the failed kick with a 50-yard field goal as six seconds remained on the clock. Wilhoit’s heroics gave the Volunteers a 30-28 win in front of 109,061 at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
“I just expected (the extra point) to go in,” Wilhoit said. “When I pushed it right, I didn’t even believe it. But on the sideline, everyone kept me up.
“We knew we’d get another opportunity. And when we did, I knew I’d make the most of it.”
Consider a previous scenario: At the game’s start, Florida quarterback Chris Leak had just thrown his first interception of the season, and Tennessee answered with a touchdown. This, by his standards, could have been considered a shaky start.
The next play, he was back on the field with 97 yards between him and the endzone. His response? He’d march his Gators the whole way. And he didn’t stop. That was until Wilhoit’s foot made him.
On Leak’s final scoring drive with under 10 minutes remaining, he threw a deep pass to wide receiver Chad Jackson. The ball deflected off a defender’s shoulder before Jackson pulled it down and ran for an 81-yard score.
But Tennessee true freshman quarterback Erik Ainge wasn’t finished either. He capped off an 80-yard touchdown drive with a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Jayson Swain with 3:25 remaining to make the score 28-27.
Wilhoit then shanked the point-after attempt wide right, allowing the Gators the chance to avoid overtime. But after Florida failed to run out the clock, Tennessee took over, marching downfield to the 33-yard line.
After a 37-second possession, Wilhoit lined back up and kicked the game-winning field goal.
“There’s going to be adversity during a season,” tailback Ciatrick Fason said. “Coach Zook always says that. We just have to be willing to put it behind us. It’s a long season. There’s a long way to go.”
Initially, after Tennessee gave up three turnovers (which turned into two Florida touchdowns), it seemed as if the Gators’ grasp on the game was enough. But the fate clearly was on the side of Tennessee this night.
At first, it appeared neither team was willing to establish any dominance. A first half fueled by momentum changes and mistakes kept either team from gaining a clear advantage.
As soon as the Gators appeared to gain an edge, Tennessee’s running game began crippling Florida’s front seven. And just as soon as the Volunteers seemed to take control, an initially shaky Chris Leak pulled out a long completion.
It was a twisted start, so twisted that Florida’s often-questioned secondary was actually cleaning up after its highly hyped front seven counterpart.
Just after the Volunteers topped off two consecutive 80-yard drives with touchdowns, Florida cornerback Dee Webb picked off Ainge’s pass. Two plays later, the Gators tied the game at 14.
That’s the way the game continued an error-laden drive simply fueled an impressive second effort for both sides.
Yet despite an eight-minute stretch in the first half a period which was clearly dominated by Tennessee’s ground attack the Gators maintained a tight hold on the Volunteers. Neither team ever led by more than seven, although Florida could have gone up 24-14 had it not been for a missed 20-yard field goal.
Tennessee’s offense was mainly to credit and blame for the game’s inconsistency. Despite producing three 80-yard touchdown drives, the Volunteers also gave up three turnovers two of which turned into Florida touchdowns.
When Tennessee was on its game, the Gators seemed destined for a long, thumping loss.
By rotating Cedric Houston, Gerald Riggs, Jabari Davis and Corey Larkin, the Volunteers’ tailback-by-committee approach was causing significant problems for Florida’s front seven. The group packed on 101 yards in the first quarter alone.
Of course, Tennessee’s true freshmen quarterbacks also had something to do with it, throwing just two passes in the period.
The sophomore continuously eluded sacks, turning near potential disaster into drive-saving plays.
On one effort, he threaded a nine-yard pass to wide receiver Jemalle Cornelius after scrambling out of the pocket and back toward the center of the field.
But none of his efforts were enough in the end.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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