There were ample moments Saturday when it appeared the Gators might allow the unthinkable.
Florida hadn’t lost to Vanderbilt at home since 1945. But these aren’t the same old Commodores, or the same old Gators.
UF lost each of its four October contests, killing any hope of a Southeastern Conference title.
But the Gators persevered.
On the opening possession against Vanderbilt, Omarius Hines turned a 40-yard catch-and-run into disaster. He fumbled the ball into the end zone as he spun towards the turf, resulting in a turnover.
But the Gators persevered.
When the Commodores and quarterback Jordan Rodgers attempted a furious comeback late in the game, pulling within 6 with 10:54 remaining, the Gators, again, persevered.
They may not be able to avoid a disappointing season, but on Saturday they at least dodged downright embarrassment.
Florida (5-4, 3-4 SEC) survived multiple late-game scares to down Vanderbilt 26-21 in The Swamp, displaying their persistence and virtually securing a postseason bowl appearance.
“That’s the way they’ve been all year long,” coach Will Muschamp said. “They’ve continued to fight. These guys have pulled together.”
Running back Chris Rainey, Florida’s leader in rushing and receiving yards, tested his sprained right ankle before the game but was ultimately unable to play.
Jeff Demps shouldered the load in his absence, carrying UF’s previously inept offense to a relieving win.
“Finally get to go home and go to sleep,” Demps said. “I haven’t been sleeping so good knowing we lost. But today, we finished.”
Defensive tackle Dominique Easley said the Gators got a monkey off their back.
Safety Matt Elam, defensive end Earl Okine and linebacker Jon Bostic called the mood in the Gators locker room ecstatic, regardless of the mediocre results this season.
“It was crazy,” Bostic said. “Everybody was ready to get that W. We went out there and got it.”
The key to Florida’s success was a renewed running game. After rushing for 175 yards in October, the Gators churned out 197 against the Commodores.
Demps was limited by an ankle injury throughout the month, sitting out UF’s Oct. 15 game against Auburn and rushing a combined 13 times for 16 yards against Alabama, LSU and Georgia.
On Saturday, he toted the ball 23 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns, displaying his all-world speed.
With senior quarterback John Brantley’s ankle injury keeping him from taking snaps under center, the Gators resorted to the pistol formation — a variation of the shotgun where a back lines up behind the quarterback.
The new look, which the Gators installed on Monday and had been preparing to use all week, set up the type of straight-ahead rushing attack UF had lacked in it’s last four games.
Demps said the new alignment let him see the holes better and Brantley, playing in the set for the first time in his career, was equally pleased with the results.
“It’s just easier to establish a downhill running game in that formation,” Brantley said. “The O-line did a great job today of opening up holes for (Demps) and allowing him to get in the open field and do what he does best, and that is run fast.”
Despite all of Florida’s success in the pistol, it was a traditional I-formation run that was the most critical of the day.
Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-5 SEC) was within six points of the lead and had scored on two of its last three possessions when, on third-and-one from the UF 48-yard line, Jacoby Brissett took the snap, faked a dive to fullback Hunter Joyer and pitched the ball to Demps on his left.
As the Vanderbilt defense collapsed to the middle and tight end A.C. Leonard sealed the edge, Demps faced a one-on-one matchup in the open field.
He took a quick step to the outside and then cut in, a move so swift it dropped Vanderbilt safety Kenny Ladler to his knees.
Demps sprinted uncontested the rest of the way for a 52-yard score, icing Florida’s reclamation win.
“It wasn’t the prettiest, but we came out with the W,” Bostic said. “We needed the win. We needed to turn everything back around.”
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org.
