The Tennessee Vols' 2023 season was one with more disappointments than fans would have liked.
However, the biggest and most unexpected one came in Gainesville, Florida on September 16. As eight-point favorites, the Vols were outclassed and handled easily by the Florida Gators in a 29-16 loss.
All offseason it appeared that the Vols had a significant edge at the quarterback position. Graham Mertz, a transfer from Wisconsin, didn't seem to provide much juice for Florida's offense, having thrown 38 touchdowns to 26 interceptions in 4 years at Wisconsin. Conversely, Joe Milton's big throws against Clemson earned him Orange Bowl MVP honors, and videos of incredibly long throws (both footballs and oranges) made their way around the internet and added further to the hype.
Instead, it was Mertz who was the more efficient and effective quarterback in the Swamp, completing 19 of 24 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown against the Vols. And it wasn't just against Tennessee where Mertz was efficient. He completed 73% of his passes for the season for 2903 yards and an extremely impressive ratio of 20 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions.
Now, the Vols will get a chance for retribution against Mertz and the Gators next fall. Mertz, who broke his collarbone in the Gators' 33-31 loss at Missouri, is reportedly returning to Florida for a sixth season.
Mertz was replaced by Max Browne at Missouri after he went down, but the latter already announced he's entering the transfer portal. As such, the competition will be lesser to supplant Mertz from the starting role.
Accordingly, barring injury, the Vols can likely expect to see Mertz trot onto the field inside Neyland Stadium when the Gators and Vols square off on October 12, 2024.
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