The Tennessee Volunteers went to The Swamp as a 7-3, 3-3 prepared to battle with the Florida Gators.

After a 60-minute contest, the Vols would leave Ben Hill Griffin Stadium victorious, moving the season records to 8-3, 4-3.

This win does a lot for the overall program. Despite any narratives that may be spun, if anything this game helps remove the mental block for the Volunteers program.

This was the first Tennessee win in Gainesville since 2003.

Using 2003 as the measuring stick so to speak, the Vols are 6-17 against Florida and that is with counting 2003.

Surreal Halftime Score

“Uh, I would say no, just because of the work that we put in and we, um, we’re looking, going forward into this game about um, going in and just simply doing our job, playing fast and playing collective football. Offense, defense, and special teams, so, you know, going into halftime it really wasn’t a surprise to us. It was now, you know, um, don’t let up. Put on more steam and you got to go and attack this second half like no other, so we can go finish,” Carter detailed.

Junior linebacker Arion Carter is familiar with just how important this game is, as the defender is an in-state product. Growing up in Tennessee, it doesn’t take long to realize the hatred between the two.

Carter would take questions after the long-awaited win.

Impact of Win as an In-State Kid

“Yeah, you know, um just being here over the few years, um just being around it, being in the game and just seeing the atmosphere, being at home and being away. Second time being here (Florida), just the fans and it just means more, you know. Being in the SEC and in these two big SEC rivalry schools, you know, two blue bloods as you would call them. Just seeing that the history of what happened prior, you know, going into this game, it gave us a little bit more of an edge, you know, to go out there and prove we can change history,” Carter said.

Click HERE to watch and listen to everything that linebacker Arion Carter had to say after beating Florida in The Swamp.

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A versatile and healthy wide receiver core, in equal parts, can make all the difference between a basically good NFL team and an NFL team that has the potential to compete on the highest level in the league. Every roster needs playmakers who can go up and get a ball, regardless, more often than not, of who is throwing it on the other end. The 2025-26 Tennessee Titans, tragically, have had the benefit of neither for the majority of their current campaign.

While the team entered the season with assumed options at the position, due to various injuries and other extreme circumstances (see Tyler Lockett requesting his own release), they’ve since been forced to rely on two rookies in the wake of any consistent veteran options being available. To make matters more difficult, with rookie quarterback Cam Ward calling the shots under center, the Titans’ offense has been almost solely about finding footing in the league rather than improving in order to win in it.

It helps that those rookies — namely, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike — have more than carried their own weight. But with the former of the two out this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks, another first-year name has been called: Xavier Restrepo.

Restrepo’s official activation was first reported and confirmed Paul Kuharsky in a post on X (Twitter), subsequently gaining the attention of hordes of Titans’ fans and sparking posts from all sides signaling a rare breach of collective excitement from Tennessee’s fanbase.

“Of course, everybody wants to play football,” said Restrepo, back in October, “but at the end of the day, again, I’m being unselfish, and I’m just trying to do whatever my team needs me to do.”

“Practice squad is what they need me to do, and I’ve been showing up every single day full speed and just giving my all.”

Now, just over one month later, the formerly undrafted wideout will get his shot as a member of the active roster this weekend; more than that, his number has a solid chance of being called at some point during the course of the game, too.

Having already played with the aforementioned Ward on the collegiate level with the Miami Hurricanes, Restrepo has a lead on chemistry with the young QB. If push comes to shove against the Seahawks and the Titans need a big play through the air, an old flame could be reignited on the biggest stage in football.

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