No. 1 Florida Gains Even More Respect : College football: Two easy games to start the season don’t compare with the Gators’ 31-0 victory at No. 15 Tennessee.

Top-ranked Florida didn’t score 70 points again, but the Gators’ 31-0 victory over No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday night was even more impressive than their first two blowout victories.

Terry Dean passed for 303 yards and two touchdowns as the Gators beat a ranked opponent on the road for the first time in eight tries under Coach Steve Spurrier.

Playing before 96,656, Florida took a 24-0 halftime lead and went on to hand Tennessee its first shutout in 13 years.

Florida beat New Mexico State, 70-21, and Kentucky, 73-7, in its first two games, but both opponents were outclassed. The Gators were favored by only 4 1/2 points at Tennessee, where they had lost their last two games by a combined score of 76-17.

It was the first game on the new grass field at Neyland Stadium, which had been covered with artificial turf since 1968. However, the Gators (3-0 overall, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) seemed more comfortable on the surface than the Vols (1-2, 1-1), who were shut out for the first time since a 44-0 loss to Georgia in 1981.

Dean, who threw 11 touchdown passes in his first two games, added two more against Tennessee--a 22-yarder to Jack Jackson in the second quarter and a 16-yarder to Aubrey Hill in the third period. The senior quarterback completed 18 of 26 passes with one interception.

Dean led the Gators to scores on four consecutive possessions in the first half. Two of the touchdowns came on runs by freshmen running backs, Fred Taylor’s seven-yarder in the first quarter and Elijah Williams’ one-yard plunge in the second.

Judd Davis added a 23-yard field goal.

Tennessee used three quarterbacks--starter Todd Helton and freshmen backups Peyton Manning and Branndon Stewart--but none could lead the Volunteers into the end zone.

Florida’s aggressive defense had five sacks and 11 other tackles behind the line of scrimmage as the Gators recorded their first shutout since a 52-0 victory over Vanderbilt last season.

The Volunteers drove to the Florida five in the closing seconds, but the Gators sacked Stewart on the final play to preserve the shutout. Tennessee’s John Becksvoort missed a 38-yard field goal earlier in the period.

It was Tennessee’s worst defeat since a 38-6 loss to Auburn in 1988.

Jackson returned the opening kickoff 60 yards and Florida drove to the Tennessee 14 before the drive was halted by Ben Talley’s interception. After that, there was no stopping the Gators.