Tennessee wide receiver says viral young fan dancing helped Vols beat Florida

Sep 14, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (1) catches a pass against Kent State Golden Flashes safety Nick Cuva (36) at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (1) catches a pass against Kent State Golden Flashes safety Nick Cuva (36) at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images / Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
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Tennessee football survived its game against Florida. The rivalry game brought another hard-fought game in which the Vols came out on top 23-17 in overtime. 

The Vols struggled to gain any momentum throughout the fourth quarter, but one fan helped keep the Tennessee players going despite their inability to score. 

Cayson Cagle, a young Vols fan who attended the Tennessee-Florida game, was featured on the jumbotron inside Neyland Stadium throughout the game. He was first featured in the second quarter when the Vols were trailing 3-0, but he sparked the Vols' offense to open the second half, scoring 14 unanswered points.

He followed up his performance in Neyland with an appearance on WVLT in Knoxville, where they discussed his viral dancing. Some fans believe Cayson helped energize the Vols to take the lead on Florida and finish the job in overtime. 

Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton was on The Players Lounge YouTube podcast with fellow receiver Kaleb Webb. They talked about Cayson's dancing and how it might have brought new life to the Vols. 

"The one little kid who was dancing, I think he's the reason we won the game," said Thornton on the podcast. "He brought the energy back to the whole game, for sure."

Webb also noticed how fans were reacting when there would be a timeout. "It was funny when we would be in huddles. I didn't really pay no mind at first, but [Tennessee fans] would boo and then get loud."

So it's safe to say the players knew what was happening and understood the energy fans brought from Cayson's dancing. 

Tennessee fans say he saved the team's season, so let's hope Cayson finds a way to return to Neyland for the Third Saturday in October when Tennessee comes to town this weekend.

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