Tennessee football has been highly successful at home under head coach Josh Heupel’s tenure as head coach. The SEC largely boasts the best atmospheres in college football and Neyland Stadium is at the very top of that list. Just ask Florida football players.
Chat Us Up asked a trio of Florida football players which stadium they’ve played in has the most energy— besides Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The trio all said the same.
“Besides The Swamp I would definitely say Neyland Stadium,” quarterback DJ Lagway said. “It was rocking over there.”
“The loudest stadium with the most energy is probably Tennessee, for sure,” linebacker Aaron Chiles said. “Tennessee at night, and we went in to overtime. Tennessee at night.
“Besides Florida, Tennessee. I would have to give it to Tennessee,” Florida defensive tackle Desmond Watson said. “They were a close second.”
Lagway and Chiles are both entering their sophomore seasons at Florida and have only played five true road games. But Watson is now with the Tampa Bay Bucs after playing four seasons at Florida and two different games at Neyland Stadium.
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The Vols knocked off Florida 38-33 at Neyland Stadium during the 2022 season for the program’s second win over the Gators since 2016. The rivalry matchup was neck-and-neck through the first three quarters before Tennessee opened up a 17-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
But even from there, Florida didn’t go away. The Gators scored two consecutive touchdowns and recovered an onside kick before Kamal Hadden interception Anthony Richardson’s pass as time expired to seal the game.
The 2024 matchup marked Lagway’s first big time experience in the SEC after Florida quarterback Graham Mertz suffered a season ending injury in the second half. Tennessee came from behind to take a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter before Lagway threw a late game touchdown to force overtime.
But Tennessee earned a 23-17 overtime victory after Trey Smack missed a 47-yard field goal and Dylan Sampson ran it in from one-yard out to seal the win.
Tennessee football is 20-1 at Neyland Stadium over the last three years and is looking to continue that recent success this season when they host SEC foes Georgia, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt in Knoxville
