Tennessee Vols fans can exhale — the losing streak to the Florida Gators is over.

For the first time since 2016 — and just the second time since 2004 — the Vols have defeated the Gators.

Tennessee left Neyland Stadium on Saturday with a 38-33 win over Florida.

This was a game the Vols absolutely had to win. Tennessee was favored by 10.5 points. They were ranked 9 spots higher in the AP poll. A loss would've been disastrous.

But Josh Heupel and the Vols showed this Tennessee team isn't the same old UT team that we've seen for the last 15 years.

Florida put up a strong fight. Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson looked like the superstar quarterback we saw in week one against Utah.

But the Vols didn't back down. Even when Florida had a shot at the end of the game after recovering an unlikely onside kick, the Tennessee defense held strong and preserved the win.

So what does the win mean?

Well, that's still to be determined.

But it's clear that Heupel and his staff are doing things at Tennessee that the previous four coaches weren't able to do.

I don't know where the Vols go from here. I don't know how the Heupel era will turn out. But things aren't going like they did under Jeremy Pruitt, Butch Jones, and Derek Dooley.

Tennessee is winning games they usually lose. Rocky Top is fun again. And the Vols are about to be in the top 10.

It's a great time to be a Vol.

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports