Florida's performance on both sides of the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores this past weekend easily secured the 38-14 homecoming win.
The Gators rushed for more than 200 yards with two 90-plus yard touchdown drives. UF redshirt junior quarterback Graham Mertz completed 30 out of 36 pass attempts for 254 yards to tally an 83% completion rate.
Defensively, Florida stifled Vanderbilt on the ground to keep them under 100 rushing yards. UF surrendered only 39 total rushing yards on 3.9 yards per carry in the first half and recorded two sacks in the fight.
This victory extends the Gators’ unbeaten run in the Swamp but does little to break their losing streak on the road. Head coach Billy Napier remains focused on implementing changes to snap the trend.
“I think we have to continue to grow, improve, develop,” Napier said. “There are some areas where we need to improve, whether that's communication, fundamentals, decision-making, or a lack of discipline at times when it comes to penalties.”
Florida has struggled to get out of its own way midway through the 2023 season. Against Vanderbilt, the Gators incurred eight penalties through 70 yards, and against Kentucky, they were hit with ten total penalties.
Napier plans to emphasize smaller actions such as better sleep schedules and increased mental toughness to resolve these issues.
“It is definitely part of our past, and we have to make sure that we're on top of our game so it isn't in the future,” Napier said. “I think ultimately, kind of what I described earlier, we've got to know and apply the things that we've learned in the past.”
Senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall delivered a memorable performance in the win with his first rushing touchdown of the season and fourth of his career.
“I've just got to execute whatever is planned for me,” Pearsall said. “And whatever the play call is, regardless if it's run play or pass play, I've got to go out there and get open and give my full effort.”
But Pearsall hopes to improve for their upcoming matchup with their division rival, South Carolina.
“It's offense and defense coming together,” Pearsall said. “We've got to execute some plays a little bit better, and we just gotta keep working at it just like everything else.”
Within moments of their first touchdown in the homecoming game, the Gators found themselves in a tight position when redshirt sophomore receiver Kahleil Jackson threw a pass intended for junior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. but was intercepted by Vanderbilt.
"It's definitely a big urgency for us,” he said. “As an offense, we have to have better communication when you step into environments like that.”
One of Napier’s biggest changes was to move redshirt junior cornerback Jaydon Hill to the STAR position, a hybrid between linebacker and defensive back.
Hill played as an inside corner against Vanderbilt. He counted four total tackles, including two solo tackles, and deftly broke up a pass.
“I've embraced that role,” he said. “I'm just still trying to feel it out. But I feel like I'm doing pretty decent at that position.”
The speed, versatility and awareness required for the position asked a lot from him, Hill said.
“I would say things happen a lot faster as far as the urgency of getting lined up, urgency of getting a call to the cornerback, safety,” Hill said. “It's not just you who has to call, you have to relay it to everybody.”
Hill aims to replicate their strong home defensive performance in South Carolina to bring Florida its first away win of the season.
“It comes down to us just executing and having the same passion and joy we play with in the Swamp and taking it on the road, coming out swinging instead of taking the hits,” he said.
The Gators are set to face the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Contact Krisha Sanghavi at ksanghavi@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @krishasang.
Krisha Sanghavi is a third-year public relations and economics major. In her free time, she loves cheering on Miami sports teams and spending time with her friends.
