NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Gators put up a season-high point total, took a game by the largest margin of victory this year and held an opponent to a season low in total yardage Saturday.
But there wasn’t much celebration from Florida after its 55-14 win against Vanderbilt. Not with a chance to clinch a spot in the Southeastern Conference Championship just a week away.
“We’re done (celebrating),” UF coach Urban Meyer said minutes after the game ended. “The coaches are already working on it as we speak, on South Carolina and having thoughts. We’re going to come in tomorrow and do the best we can. This is what we work for. This is the whole deal.”
With the win, Florida (6-3, 4-3 SEC) turned next week’s showdown with South Carolina into a winner-take-all battle for the SEC East.
The Gators and the Commodores (2-7, 1-5 SEC) started slow as they combined for 10 possessions and seven punts in the first quarter, but that changed — at least for Florida.
UF exploded with 34 points in the second quarter, ignited by Chris Rainey’s second blocked punt of the game. Both punts set up touchdowns for the Gators.
Rainey, playing in his second game after a five-game suspension, also caught a 40-yard pass in the end zone with a Vanderbilt cornerback draped all over him to put UF up 21-0.
“Like I told you all last week and I’ve told you all year long, he’s the best player on our team,” senior Mike Pouncey said. “He shows it week in and week out, and we’re just glad to have him back.”
Florida also received some unexpected help in the shotgun from Jordan Reed, who threw a career-high 19 passes Saturday. On his first pass of the game, he rocked forward as if he was going to run the ball, then quickly dropped back and threw a 31-yard strike to Deonte Thompson in the end zone. The Gators had not thrown a touchdown pass in the previous four games.
“[Reed is] a freak athlete,” Meyer said. “You can see what a dynamic runner he is. He’s got a nice arm. But we don’t have that big runner, and he gives us that.”
Usual UF wildcat quarterback Trey Burton ran the ball just six times against Vanderbilt compared to Reed’s 16 rushes for a team-high 84 yards. But Meyer shot down the notion that Reed would cut into Burton’s playing time.
The Gators’ 34 points in the second quarter were more than they scored in four whole games this season, and 41 first-half points were their most since playing Charleston Southern last season.
It was more than enough as the defense held Vanderbilt to 109 total yards and put up a touchdown of its own on a 45-yard fumble return from defensive tackle Terron Sanders.
The Gators have strung together two wins since stumbling into a three-game losing streak. Now UF has just one more thing it has to do before earning a trip to Atlanta: beat South Carolina.
“I like the look. … It’s real clear what the focus is,” Meyer said. “It’s championship week in Gainesville.”
