For the first time in Tennessee's three games this season, Erik Ainge found himself facing serious pressure from an opposing defense.

After getting hit only a precious few times against California and Air Force -- and not taking a single sack -- the junior quarterback was under considerable duress against Florida last Saturday.

Welcome back to the SEC.

"In a game like that, a guy's going to come free every once in a while," Ainge said Monday. "How often do you see a Florida-Tennessee game when the quarterback doesn't get touched? That's unrealistic."

In some ways, so was Ainge's pace through the first two games.

After opening the season with 624 yards and seven touchdowns, he was the nation's top-rated passer entering the game.

Against the Gators, he finished a respectable 17-for-31 with 183 yards and two interceptions.

What would have been a 30-yard touchdown to Jayson Swain was ruled down at the 1-yard line.

For the most part, Ainge held up well against the first real pressure he's faced from an opposing defense all season.

"He showed a little more toughness than he had, because he some pressure and had some duress," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said Tuesday. "He got away from it. He still needs to step up in the pocket and use his abilities. I'm pleased with where he is right now. He's working within the parameters we've given him."

On third-and-8 from the UT 13 midway through the third quarter, Ainge had arguably his least composed play of the game.

Facing pressure from a Gators defender near his end zone, Ainge slung the ball at running back Montario Hardesty's feet.

That play brought back memories of Ainge's 2005 low point: a desperation, underhanded lob out of the end zone against LSU that was returned for a touchdown.

Ainge didn't return against the Tigers.

This time he bounced back to lead the Vols on a field-goal drive.

While he's made considerable progress, Ainge knows he's not perfect yet. The No. 15 Vols (2-1) play Marshall (1-2) on Saturday at Neyland Stadium at 4 p.m. (TV: Pay per-view).

"He probably had an opportunity to lay a couple balls off that he wishes he probably would have during the course of the game," Fulmer said.

One came to immediately to mind when Ainge critiqued the Vols' final drive of the game.

After moving from its 24, Tennessee was about 4 yards from field goal range with a little more than 3 minutes remaining.

Florida linebacker Brandon Siler came untouched up the middle and would have sacked Ainge had he not been flagged for intentional grounding.

That play backed the Vols up 14 yards, but Ainge's biggest regret came two plays later.

Locked onto Robert Meachem, Ainge didn't see an open Lucas Taylor cut underneath the Gators' coverage.

"I actually should have throw the ball to Lucas Taylor," Ainge said. "He was wide open in the flat. Obviously I have a lot of confidence in Robert Meachem and may a little too much in that situation. I should have looked somewhere else."

Ainge went back to Meachem on fourth down, this time throwing short for a meaningless interception by Reggie Nelson.

Of all the plays Saturday, though, missing Taylor might be the toughest to take.

"It's one of those things where you don't see it on the field," Ainge said. "No one necessarily sees it until you go watch film and then you're just going, 'Oh man ...'

"So it's kind of a woulda, shoulda, coulda, which is tough to do as a quarterback."

Equally tough is trying to operate an offense when defensive players are breathing in your facemask.

With games looming against tough defensive fronts like Georgia and LSU, it's a learning experience.

And one that nearly wound up as win.

"We had a chance," Ainge said. "We'll execute that better when we get in that situation again."