The Florida Gators (3-2, 1-1 SEC) take on the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-4, 0-2 SEC) for their homecoming game. The Gators look to bounce back after their loss to the Kentucky Wildcats last week on the road.
FINAL SCORE: The Florida Gators earn a convincing 38-14 victory against the Vanderbilt Commodores and improve to 4-0 at home. Redshirt freshman tight end Arlis Boardingham led the Gators' offense with seven receptions for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Florida will play on the road next week against the South Carolina Gamecocks 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Q4 | 5:21 - The Gators force a fourth down, and Vanderbilt will elect to punt the ball. Florida will begin its next drive at the 33-yard line.
Q4 | 7:19 - Trey Smack's kickoff lands in the back of the endzone. The Commodores will take over on their own 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q4 | 7:19 - Mertz finds Boardingham for his second touchdown of the game. Trey Smack's extra-point attempt is good. Florida leads 38-14.
Q4 | 8:28 - Montrell Johnson Jr. continues to carve through the Vanderbilt defense and works his way into the redzone and to the 12-yard line on a 15-yard run.
Q4 | 9:23 - Florida's pass rush gets to Seals on fourth down and brings him down with a sack. Princely Umanmielen and Derek Wingo combined for the sack. The Gators will begin their next drive on the 36-yard line.
Q4 | 9:34 - Seals pass attempt on third down is incomplete. Vanderbilt will go for it on fourth down on their own side of the field.
Q4 | 12:12 - Trey Smack's kickoff lands in the endzone. The Commodores will take over on their own 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: Q4 | 12:38 - The Gators were unable to convert on a long third down. Trey Smack's 40-yard field goal attempt is good. Florida leads 31-14.
Q4 | 13:20 - A nifty move by Pearsall allows him to get just past the first down marker and continue the Gators drive in the redzone. However, an illegal block in the back penalty erases the gain, and it's third down with 16-yards to go.
END OF THE THIRD QUARTER: Florida 28, Vanderbilt 14
The Gators end the third quarter on a 44-yard run by freshman running back Treyaun Webb.
Q3 | 0:36 - Florida begins its next drive at the 24-yard line after a 22-yard kickoff return by Andy Jean.
SCORING PLAY: Q3 | 0:44 - Seals connects on a 21-yard pass with Richie Hoskins, who enters the endzone untouched. The extra-point attempt by Vanderbilt is good. Florida now leads 28-14.
Q3 | 3:16 - Trey Smack's kickoff lands in the endzone. The Commodores will take over on their own 25-yard line.
NOTE: Florida's last drive was the definition of slow and methodical. The Gators took more than six minutes off the clock and capped it off with a 9-yard touchdown grab by Wilson.
SCORING PLAY: Q3 | 3:16 - Mertz connects with freshman wide receiver Eugene Wilson for his first career touchdown. The Gators are up big with just over a quarter of play left. Smack's extra-point attempt is good. Florida 28, Vanderbilt 7.
Q3 | 4:05 - Boardingham broke off several Vanderbilt defenders and worked his way just past the sticks for a miraculous first-down grab on third-and-15.
Q3 | 5:25 - Mertz finds Pearsall on fourth-and-two and the Gators drive continues just outside the redzone.
Q3 | 9:40 - Graham Mertz is back on the field for the Florida offense.
Q3 | 9:41 - Vanderbilt punts the ball, and the Gators will begin their next drive on the 9-yard line.
Q3 | 10:05 - Florida takes down Seals on a QB option play, which will lead to fourth down. The Commodores looked as if they were attempting to go for it on fourth down, but a delay of game will push them back five yards and give them more room to pin back the Gators against their own endzone.
Q3 | 11:30 - R.J. Moten is called for pass interference on second down, and Vanderbilt has the ball right at midfield with a fresh set of downs.
Q3 | 13:05 - Florida goes three-and-out on the first drive of the second half after a 5-yard carry by Johnson that ended short of the line to gain. Vanderbilt will take over at their own 31-yard line.
Q3 | 14:46 - Mertz is sacked on the first play of the second half and hobbles off the field. Max Brown is on the field at quarterback for the Gators.
Q3 | 15:00 - Florida begins the third quarter on their own 25-yard line after Vanderbilt's second-half kickoff lands in the endzone.
HALFTIME: Florida 21, Vanderbilt 7
Tyreak Sapp sacks Ken Seals to end the first half. It's been all Gators after a back-and-forth first quarter. Florida's defense forced two turnover on downs and a punt in the second quarter while UF added two redzone scores. Montrell Johnson Jr. is leading the Gators offense with 11 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown.
2Q | 0:41 - Trey Smack's kickoff lands at the back of the endzone. The Commodores will begin their next drive at the 25-yard line.
SCORING PLAY: 2Q | 0:41 - Montrell Johnson breaks multiple tackles and churns into the endzone to add a late score before the second half. Trey Smack's extra point attempt sails through the uprights. Gators lead 21-7.
2Q | 0:58 - The Gators call a timeout on third-and-two. Mertz overthrew Jackson in the endzone, which would've led to a fourth down. However, Florida's drive continues after a roughing-the-passer call to make it first down at the 7-yard line.
2Q | 1:04 - Florida is in the redzone after a 5-yard catch by freshman receiver Eugene Wilson III.
2Q | 2:42 - The Gators will begin their next drive on the 29-yard line after a 3-yard punt return by Pearsall.
2Q | 2:53 - Seals pass to McGowen lands just short of the sticks on third down after a quick tackle by Jaydon Hill.
2Q | 5:01 - Florida is unable to convert on third down, and the Gators punting unit enters the field for the second time today. Crawshaw's punt travels 63 yards on the 5-yard line.
2Q - 8:39 - Jackson breaks up a pass intended for Johnson on fourth down, and it's a turnover on downs. Florida will take over on their own 4-yard line.
2Q | 9:31 - Seals connects with Sherrill on a 52-yard pass, and the Commodores are at the edge of the endzone. UF cornerback Ja'Keem Jackson allowed multiple yards of separation but was able to tackle the Vanderbilt wide receiver at the 7-yard line.
2Q | 10:51 - Trey Smack's kickoff lands at the back of the endzone. The Commodores will begin their next drive at the 25-yard line.
NOTE: The touchdown catch by redshirt freshman Arlis Boardingham is the second of his career. He caught his first score against the Charlotte 49ers on Sept. 23.
SCORING PLAY: 2Q | 10:51 - Mertz finds Arlis Boardingham in the endzone to extend the Gators lead by a touchdown. Trey Smack's extra point attempt is good. Florida leads 14-7.
2Q | 12:40 - A 28-yard run by Johnson sets the Gators up in the redzone.
2Q | 14:44 - The call on the field stands. Florida will get the ball at their own 39-yard line. Florida EDGE T.J. Searcy was credited with the forced fumble.
2Q | 14:55 - Vanderbilt calls a timeout on fourth-and-five at midfield. Seals finds Skinner for the first down, but the ball was stripped and recovered by Florida before he was tackled. The previous play is under review.
END OF THE FIRST QUARTER: Florida 7, Vanderbilt 7
NOTE: Florida has played an impressive game defensively other than an 85-yard touchdown by Ken Seals to Will Sheppard. The Gators allowed just 43 yards of offense excluding the one pass.
Q1 | 0:32 - Seals finds Quincy Skinner Jr. on third down for a 14-yard gain to avoid a turnover on downs.
Q1 | 1:45 - Seals attempts a pass to Will Sheppard on third down but the two are unable to connect. However, Vanderbilt's drive continues due to a roughing-the-passer penalty by Caleb Banks, which moves the Commodores 15 yards down field.
Q1 | 2:44 - The Gators go three-and-out, and Jeremy Crawshaw runs onto the field to man the punt. His 53-yard boot lands in the endzone, and the Commodores will begin their next drive at the 20-yard line.
Q1 | 6:07 - The Gators begin their next drive on the 22-yard line after a short return.
SCORING PLAY: 1Q | 6:15 - Seals finds his favorite target Sheppard for an 85-yard score. Vanderbilt's extra-point attempt sails through the uprights. The score is even at seven.
1Q | 7:07 - UF wide receiver Kahleil Jackson throws an interception on a lateral play. Vanderbilt will begin its next drive on the 11-yard line.
1Q | 7:15 - Seals is chased down by Scooby Williams on third down and is forced to throw the ball away, leading to a turnover on downs. The Gators will begin their next drive on the 43-yard line after an 18-yard return by Pearsall.
1Q | 9:05 - Vanderbilt begins their second drive on the 8-yard line after a Vanderbilt returner elected for a fair catch.
SCORING PLAY: 1Q | 9:05 - Ricky Pearsall enters the end zone untouched on an 13-yard touchdown run. The extra-point attempt by Trey Smack is good. Florida leads 7-0.
1Q | 9:20 - Montrell Johnson Jr. finds a hole in the defense and explodes down the sideline for a 33-yard gain. Gators are on the edge of the redzone.
1Q | 12:29 - Seals pass on third down intented for Will Sheppard is knocked down by Jaydon Hill. Vanderbilt punted the football, and Ricky Pearsall elected to make a fair catch on the seven-yard line.
Kickoff: The Commodores receive the opening kickoff. Trey Smack boots it into the endzone and Vanderbilt will begin its first drive on the 25-yard line.
Luke Adragna is a third-year journalism student and the Florida Gators football reporter at The Alligator. He is a cat ethusiast and completes the NYT Daily Mini in less than a minute each day.
