KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The final score will say one thing. Florida’s performance offensively screams quite another.

The No. 10-ranked Gators stuttered and puttered along on offense again, but had enough in the tank to hold off Tennessee for a 31-17 victory Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

All you need to know about this game is that Florida’s longest play from scrimmage came on a fake punt. Omarius Hines rambled for 36 yards on a fourth-and-6 play from the Gators’ own 39 in the third quarter.

The Gators (3-0, 1-0) used that fake punt to go ahead 17-10 and then held off the Vols in the fourth quarter.

Nothing about it was pretty, though, for Florida, which again struggled to find any continuity in its offense.

The Gators’ defense was strong for much of the game, but gave up a pair of long touchdown passes on what appeared to be busted coverages.