FLORIDA FOOTBALL: Etienne Explodes in a Rocky Flop
- Kyle Curtis
- Sep 17, 2023
- 2 min read
Trevor Etienne changed the pace of the game on a 62-yard touchdown scamper that fired up the offense and defense. Rushing for 172 yards and scoring a touchdown, Etienne set a career-high in rushing yards and captured the attention of the nation. Thanks to Etienne, the Gators were able to control the game and grab a 29-16 victory in front of a sold-out Swamp.
“That place is special,” Napier said about The Swamp. “We have one of the best gamely atmospheres in all of college football.”
Montrell Johnson found the end zone twice, with some nifty jukes en route to the endzone. This led to a victory for Florida, as they upset the 11th-ranked Tennessee team with a score of 29-16 on Saturday night, marking the Volunteers’ tenth consecutive loss in Gainesville.
“Trevor was on fire out there tonight,” Billy Napier said after the game.
Etienne was not expecting to be the lead back at the beginning of the night but was encouraged after his teammates supported him when he caught fire.
“No. I had no idea,” Etienne said after being asked if he thought he would be the lead back. “It was shocking to me. I mean, I'm just thankful for those guys too because even though it was me in the game most of the time, they were still pushing me, still encouraging me, still giving me tips when I came off the field. So I'm just thankful to have those guys in my circle.”
Etienne finished with 23 carries, another career-high for him. The Gators took a more conservative approach in the second half, where Etienne continuously gained chunk yards.
A combined 10 touches between Etienne and Johnson against Utah in week one left Gator fans questionable around the play call. A tweet even by Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne Jr, Trevor’s brother, made a suggestion that his brother should even transfer from the university. Trevor touched on the impact of that game and how it has affected the running back room for the rest of the year.
“Coming from the Utah game, we didn't really touch the ball that much,” Etienne said. “But the way we took it was how can we affect the game without the ball? How can we be a threat without the ball? We didn't try to focus on so much that we didn't get the ball. We just tried to worry about being the best teammate we could be without the ball.”
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