Tennessee's first taste of conference action in 2023 couldn't have gone more poorly. The Volunteers faced off with the Florida Gators in Gainesville and got their lunch handed to them, 29-16.
Some fans may want to blame the refs after an undoubtedly frustrating performance from the officials. They missed calls and kicked balls in ways that seemed to favor the Gators at every turn.
But even if you want to tear into the refs, there's no denying the Volunteers only have themselves to blame for the outcome.
Volunteers to blame for loss to Florida: No. 3 Tim Banks
In other matchups this season, giving up 29 points on defense won't be the end of the world. But Florida isn't one of the best offenses in the SEC and Graham Mertz is far from the best quarterback on the schedule.
This is defensive coordinator Tim Banks' third year in the role. He owns every defensive result and Saturday was not much of a showcase.
The game was lost in the first half. The Gators marched down the field for touchdowns on four of their first five drives. The only drive that didn't result in a score was 14 plays and ended in a blocked field goal.
Trevor Etienne broke free for a long 62-yard touchdown and went on to rack up 172 yards on the ground. Tennessee couldn't figure out how to stop him.
This was the same Gators offense that managed 11 points against Utah in the season opener. That's not to say Tennessee should expect to have a defense as good as Utah's, but Vols fans could have at least hoped they'd make it somewhat difficult for Florida.
The one positive to say about the defense is they limited Florida to just three points in the second half. That was too little, too late on a night when the Tennessee offense had even less to give...
Volunteers to blame for loss to Florida: No. 2 Joe Milton
Joe Milton is no Hendon Hooker.
That much has been clear for a while but the warning signs against Appalachian State look even more clear now that the Vols have paid for it with a loss.
The quarterback simply isn't capable of moving the Tennessee offense the way his predecessor did. The offense looked fine on an opening scoring drive that resulted in a touchdown but after that things went downhill fast.
While Florida's offense was tearing through the Vols for 26 unanswered points, Milton and company hardly moved the ball. The quarterback threw an interception and nearly turned the ball over several more times. He was inaccurate and ineffective.
Even if the Tennessee defense had had a solid outing, Milton didn't have the juice to lead the Vols to victory in the Swamp.
But it's not Milton's fault he remained behind center for the entire game. That's on someone higher up the ladder...
Volunteers to blame for loss to Florida: No. 1 Josh Heupel
The buck stops at the top and, in this case, it stops hard.
Josh Heupel is the blame for the loss to Florida because he hired his defensive coordinator. Because he continues to put his faith in Joe Milton. Because he calls the plays and manages the clock.
The Volunteers got by with a questionable defense last season because their offense was so effective. Now the offense is stuttering and the defensive deficiencies are increasingly problematic.
The playcalling on Saturday was head-scratching but the personnel decision at quarterback remains the biggest "what if?"
Does someone want to tell Heupel that he has a five-star stud in Nico Iamaleava sitting on his bench? He's not in the conundrum Nick Saban finds himself in with no good quarterback options. The freshman could have come in at any point in the second half and sparked the offense. Instead, Heupel persisted with a quarterback who clearly isn't capable of leading the Volunteers where they want to go.
Heupel's decision-making was summed up by taking a timeout in the final seconds, sparking tension on the field and resulting in a humiliating ending for his team.
