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Explanation of the end of the first half of football between Tennessee and Florida

Vaseline October 13, 2024

The first half of football between Tennessee and Florida on Saturday ended with sloppy play marring the entire half.

Florida made a field goal, was negated by a penalty, and then didn’t get a second attempt due to a 10-second run-off due to the offensive penalty.

The Gators led 3-0 against the Vols at halftime.

What happened at the end of the first half between Tennessee and Florida

Florida ran onto the field for a final field goal attempt without any timeout to stop the clock. Kicker Trey Smack made a 43-yard field goal for a 6-0 Florida lead.

But the Gators were called for an illegal substitution because there were twelve players on the field. The penalty set up a 10-second run-off due to an attacking penalty in the final minute of the half. Florida could have avoided the second round if it could have used a timeout, but it also wouldn’t have been in the situation to begin with if it had a timeout.

The run-off rule is intended to prevent the offense from stopping the clock with an injury or an intentional penalty, while there is no timeout to stop the clock.

The Vols forced the Gators to run down the field and compete for a field goal attempt by sacking quarterback Graham Mertz for a 10-yard loss on third down. UT defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott and defensive back Boo Carter sacked Mertz.

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The Gators kicked the field goal on fourth-and-4. Smack was trying to make the field goal a second before halftime when two flags flew in the air. Officials conferred and ruled that half was over.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @By MikeWilson. If you like Mike’s reporting, consider a digital subscription that gives you access to it all.