The Gators are back home for the first time in five weeks when Vanderbilt visits Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)
Game Day: Vanderbilt at Florida (Saturday, noon)
Saturday, November 9, 2019 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Last year, the Florida Gators spent too much time the week after their loss to Georgia bemoaning that defeat, rather than putting a laser-like focus on the upcoming opponent. Missouri came to Spurrier/Florida Field and dismantled the home team by three touchdowns, prompting Coach Dan Mullen to say his team let the Bulldogs loss beat the Gators twice.
Time for that teachable moment to be applied again.
[Read senior writer Scott Carter's compressive "Opening Kickoff" breakdown here]
A week ago, UF was ranked sixth in the nation and in prime position to make itself a player in the Southeastern Conference race — and beyond — until a third straight loss in the UGA rivalry reset expectations. Now ranked 10th, the Gators (7-2, 4-2) still have a ton to play for and that makes Saturday's date against Vanderbilt (2-6, 1-4) at the "Swamp" all the more pivotal with regard to where the 2019 season ultimately goes.
For what it's worth, the SEC East Division is far from settled, though Georgia has a significant upper hand, needing only to win two of its final three league games (at Missouri, at Auburn, home vs. Texas A&M) or have Florida lose one of its two (Vandy, at Mizzou next week). In the interim, all the Gators can control is what's in front of them — starting with the Commodores — because a strong finish, as in three straight wins to close out the regular season, would mean 10 regular-season victories, the first home defeat of rival Florida State in 10 years and berth in a New Year's Six bowl game.
Which all leads back to one thing: Beating the Commodores.
UF coach Dan Mullen hopes to apply last year's post-Georgia lesson to his 2019 team's current situation heading into Saturday's home SEC date against Vanderbilt.
Vandy's two wins have come against Northern Illinois and Missouri, then ranked 22nd, with both of those at home, where it also lost to a bad Nevada-Las Vegas team. The Commodores, in their sixth season under Derek Mason, have played three road games (at Purdue, Ole Miss and South Carolina) and lost by 18, 25 and 17 points, respectively.
They rank last in the SEC in total offense (317.1 yards per game), scoring offense (17.0 points per game) and total defense (453.9 yards per), as well as next to last in scoring defense (32.4 points per). The Commodores also are last in rushing offense (125.9 yards), despite senior tailback Ke'Shawn Vaughn ranking fourth individually at 98.8 yards an outing, while the passing offense, led by Ball State grad-transfer quarterback Riley Neal (58.6 percent, 1,193 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs), checks in 11th at 191.2 yards per.
The Gators, meanwhile, were beaten soundly last week in two key areas that have plagued them in both their losses this season: running game and pass defense.
In the 24-17 loss to Georgia, a UF offense currently ranked 10th in the SEC (403.9 yards) managed just 21 yards on 19 carries, thus putting a lot of stress on the passing game. On the other side of the ball, Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm shredded the Gators' secondary on third down, converting 12 of 18 such situations, a handful of them for huge chunks of yards, including a 22-yard completion on a late third-and-7 that, if stopped, would have given UF a last-ditch possession and shot at tying the game.
Florida has defeated Vanderbilt 27 of the previous 28 meetings, dating to 1989, including the last five straight. Last season, the Gators fell behind the Commodores by 18 points at Nashville, then staged the largest road rally in program history for a 37-27 win.
The Georgia game came a week later, as one loss turned to two.
UF-Vandy kickoff is set for noon on ESPN, with the crew of Bob Wischusen on play-by-play, Dan Orlovsky providing analysis and Allison Williams working the sidelines. Check out the "First & 10 Pre-Game Show," hosted by GatorVision's Shelby Granath, coming from the field via Facebook Live on the Florida Gators page at 11 a.m. This week's lineup includes chats with Mullen, quarterback Kyle Trask, wideout Josh Hammond, safety Donovan Stiner, former UF tight end and Gator Radio Network sidelines reporter Tate Casey, and former UF All-America wideout and celebrity "Mr. Two Bits" Ike Hilliard, now receivers coach with the Washington Redskins. Maybe a surprise guest or two, also.
Finally, follow senior staff writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry on Twitter (@GatorsScott and @GatorsChris) for commentary and analysis throughout the game. FloridaGators.com will have complete coverage content from the game Saturday night and fresh content Sunday, as well.
