There was a time when the Tennessee-Florida game would be dictated by whether or not the Gators had a first-year starter at quarterback. Before 2005, Austin Appleby would spell good news for the Vols.
After all, when the rivalry exploded in 1990, five of the Vols’ six wins came in games where Florida’s quarterback was in his first start against Tennessee. Chris Leak in 2004, Ingle Martin in 2003, Rex Grossman in 2001, Jesse Palmer and Doug Johnson in 1998, and Shane Matthews in 1990 all lost because of that.
But something changed when Urban Meyer took over in 2005.