“I had the end zone in my eyesight": Trevor Etienne's long TD sets tempo for offense in Tennessee win

The game risked careening out of control for the Gators when Trevor Etienne received the handoff.

A missed field goal and a two-minute scoring drive put No. 11 Tennessee up 7-0 on the Gators in the first quarter.

But then, Etienne found a hole in the middle of the field.

“I had the end zone in my eyesight, and I was going to do anything to get there,” he said.

From there, the flame for Florida’s first-half offensive explosion was lit.

The Gators (2-1, 1-0 SEC) scored on their next four drives before the half to build a 26-7 lead and prevail over the Volunteers (2-1, 0-1 SEC), 29-16, on Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.

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'We need a big play'

After the game, Etienne said the scamper restored confidence in the offense.

“It was a critical point in the game,” he said. “I feel like we needed a big play to get the offense going, and it just happened to be me that made the play.”

Last week against McNeese, Florida used Etienne and fellow tailbacks Montrell Johnson Jr. and Treyaun Webb almost equally.

Etienne expected a similar situation Saturday, but coach Billy Napier gave him the rock 23 times, 11 more than Johnson.

“I’m just thankful for those guys (Johnson and Webb) because even though it was me, they were still encouraging me and giving me tips,” Etienne said.

In week one against then-No. 14-ranked Utah (3-0), Etienne only received seven carries for 25 yards. That experience caused him to rethink how he could have an impact without the ball.

“We didn't try to focus on so much that we didn't get the ball,” Etienne said. “We just tried to worry on being the best teammate we could be without the ball.”

On his long TD, Etienne shed a tackle and almost lost his balance. Napier praised Etienne’s contact balance postgame.

He also proclaimed that Etienne was “on fire” Saturday night.

“Him and Montrell both were in situations where they made guys miss tackles, and after contact created big plays,” Napier said.

Balanced offense helps bleed clock

Florida threw 12 passes to nine runs in the first quarter and continued that balance into the second. Those long drives, combined with its third-down efficiency (7-of-8 in the first half), helped UF bleed clock.

Time of possession favored the Gators 21:42 to 8:18 in the first 30 minutes.

QB Graham Mertz said the last two weeks UF played complete offensive football with his short passes and the run game preventing third-and-longs.

“I think the big thing about college football is staying ahead of the sticks, and our team is doing a good job of that right now,” Mertz said.

Etienne didn’t break another 60-plus yarder in the first half, but he compiled some tough runs of 5-15 yards that exhausted an already fatigued Vols defense.

“I knew this game was going to be physical, and we were going to have to play hard,” Etienne said. “I wanted to keep our offense out of those tough play calling downs, keep us from being backed up.”

Run the ball

In the second half, Napier’s play calling altered. Florida played more conservative, something the coach said he veered a little far into.

“When it's a three-touchdown game and your defense is playing well, you're trying to get to the house with a W,” Napier said.

Etienne noted holding onto the ball became his high priority in the latter half.

“Don't have any lazy turnovers, any dumb turnovers,” he said.

He held onto the ball and gained an additional 53 yards on the ground for a total of 172.

That mark set a new career high. His previous best came last season with 129 against Florida State.

Etienne bestowed all credit to his teammates up-front – the offensive line.

“They came out and dominated for 60 minutes. And I just want to say thank you,” Etienne said. “I owe those guys. I have to take them out to dinner or something.”

Etienne’s brother, Travis, stars at RB for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Trevor said he knows his big brother will share some of his critiques despite his record-breaking performance.

"I'm sure he has some plays he wants to talk about.  It's never enough,” Etienne said. “I never done anything right, and I'm the same with him. I try to stay on him, just week in and week out.”

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida's Etienne rushes for career-high in upset over Tennessee