Florida-Tennessee 4th-most watched regular season game on ESPN since 2019, 5.3 million viewers

Plenty of streams and televisions were tuned to the showdown in the Swamp on Saturday night as Florida hosted — and beat —  Tennessee. All told, 5.3 million people watched, ESPN announced on Tuesday.

The viewership made it the fourth-most watched game on ESPN since 2019. Gator fans were certainly rewarded for tuning in, as Florida romped to a 29-16 upset win over the Volunteers.

And plenty of the viewership might’ve held strong as fans stayed tuned in for the following game: Colorado hosting Colorado State.

It was also a show inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday night, too, as more than 90,700 fans filled the stands.

Two days later, during his weekly press conference, Gators head coach Billy Napier made sure to give them the credit they deserve for making it a tough environment for the Volunteers.

“Got to start off by thanking — just a really unique experience in The Swamp Saturday night, relative to our fans,” Napier said Monday. “They put on a show for the entire country to see. And it impacted our team. Brought a lot of energy to our players, created momentum in the game and certainly made it very difficult for Tennessee. Caused procedure penalties, ultimately they were a part of the plan and certainly did their part. So can’t compliment them enough.”

Napier hopes an end game scrap can be a teachable moment

Florida saw three players suspended Monday due to their role in a fight that broke out on the last play of Saturday’s game against Tennessee. Offensive linemen Micah Mazzccua and Damieon George Jr., as well as tight end Dante Zanders, will all miss the first half of Week 4’s game against Charlotte as a result.

Napier addressed the situation in his weekly press conference, noting it wasn’t just players involved in the fight, but members of the coaching staff as well, calling it a “teachable moment” for both sides.

“Look, it’s not just Micah,” Napier said. “We got staff members that probably need to be disciplined as well. Ultimately, that’s a teachable moment. It’s an opportunity for us to talk about composure and poise. Ego, temper. Football presents an opportunity to teach some of those things.”

The fight began when Tennessee defensive lineman Omari Thomas delivered a late hit on Florida quarterback Graham Mertz. That led George to shove Thomas and soon after things got out of control with multiple players involved.

Mazzccua was later seen throwing a punch at Vols defensive back Kamal Hadden. Tennessee defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott, the only Volunteer suspended, was also seen throwing punches.

“It’s not gonna be the last time that you’re gonna be in an altercation,” Napier said. “We had multiple players that screwed up. They compromised the entire team because you may not be available in the future. No different than if some guy calls you a name at the local bar on Friday night. Are you gonna compromise your wife and your kids and make a poor decision? These things are teachable moments and hopefully we do enough on our part to teach ’em.”