All the hype. All the build up. Tennessee proved it could handle the big stage Saturday against rival Florida.

The No. 11 Vols, even without standout receiver Cedric Tillman, put the No. 20 Gators in a tough spot, forcing them to have to match their high-powered offense score for score. It proved to be a winning formula, even with two first half turnovers and a late push from Florida on the final drive in a 38-33 victory at Neyland Stadium.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak to Florida for Tennessee as quarterback Hendon Hooker turned in a career performance in total yards, accounting for 476 with 127 on the ground and another 349 through the air.

Receiver Bru McCoy caught five passes for 102 yards and a touchdown while running back Jabari Small rushed for 92 yards and a score.

The Gators (2-2, 0-2 SEC), paced by quarterback Anthony Richardson, who finished with 453 yards passing, answered Chase McGrath's 32-yard field goal that gave Tennessee a 3-0 first quarter lead with a 44-yard touchdown pass to tight end Keon Zipperer to put Florida up 7-3.

Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) answered back in rapid fashion. Hooker took advantage of a coverage breakdown in the Gators secondary with a 70-yard pass to McCoy that set up Hooker's first of two touchdown runs two plays later to make it 10-7 in favor of the Vols early in the second quarter.

Following an eight-play, 75 yard scoring drive that was capped by a Richardson touchdown run, Hooker engineered the drive of the game.

Forcing a Florida punt after Hooker was strip sacked, the Vols offense went 99 yards with less than three minutes on the clock and took the lead for the final time on Hooker's 1-yard touchdown pass to McCoy, giving Tennessee a 17-14 advantage at the half.

Tennessee also scored on its opening drive of the second half-a 16-yard pass from Hooker to Small to take its biggest lead at 24-14, but the Gators answered again to pull within 3 after Richardson's second touchdown rush.

After Small capped another quick drive to put Tennessee back up double digits with a 1-yard run, the Vols defense forced their first turnover by stripping Richardson and snuffing out a Gators drive inside the Tennessee 20.

Jaylen Wright seemingly put it away on a 5-yard run into the end zone to push the score to 38-21, but two late touchdowns from Florida in the final five minutes gave the Gators a chance to win after recovering an onside kick at the Tennessee 47.

On Richardson's final heave, Tennessee applied pressure, forcing the pass to land harmlessly in the hands of Kamel Hadden to preserve the win.

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