Week 12: #6 Florida Gators 38, Vanderbilt Commodores 17 - 11/21/2020

[Escambia94]

The #6 Florida Gators head to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Florida is favored by 31 points and the O/U is at 68. Florida leads the all-time series 41-10-2, with the mighty Gators winning 28 of the last 29. Florida is 19-7-1 in Nashville. They are 22-2-1 in Gainesville against the 'Dores.

Last week Kyle Trask broke Tua Tagovailoa's SEC record for TD passes through 6 games with 28, which tied Texas Tech's Graham Harrell (2007) for all QBs. The Gators have scored 275 points in 6 games, which is their 3rd-highest behind the 1996 Gators (315) and the 1994 Gators (287). The Gators have scored 6 straight 35-point outings against SEC teams for the first time since 2008. The Gators also did this in 1996. Florida is coming off its first 60-point game against an SEC opponent since 2008's 63-5 win over Kentucky. Dan Mullen is tied with Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer for the best 32-game start by a head coach at Florida at 26-6.

The Gators tossed 7 TD for the 7th time in school history, with Trask throwing 6 of them and making him the 7th QB in SEC history to have multiple 6-TD performances. He joins Danny Wuerffel (twice) and Terry Dean (twice) as the only other Gators to accomplish this. By scoring 50+ points for the 5th time under Dan Mullen, the Gators have matched the number of times they scored 50+ since 2010.

The Gator defense is slowly improving, but it is still susceptible to the big play. Florida somehow leads the SEC in sacks with 3.17 per game and is tied for #2 in the league with 6.67 TFLs per game.

Look for Vanderbilt QB Ken Seals to try and maintain his 70.3% completion average while minimizing his bad habit of tossing up interceptions. The 'Dores will likely switch out QBs in the red zone and swap in Mike Wright. Vandy's best runner is Keyon Henry-Brooks, but he might not be available due to rib injury. Ja'Veon Marlow is a suitable substitute coming off 4-game suspension for violating team rules. The Florida defense is giving up 30 points per game and 411.3 yards, but the 'Dores struggle to make those marks.

Last year the Gators got off to a slow start and still won 56-0. The 2020 Gator offense is much more potent, and they should have no problems eclipsing that. The question is whether Vandy can eke out just enough offense to exploit the Gators' anemic secondary. The largest margin of victory for the Gators against Vandy was 71-13 in 2001. I predict the Gators surpass that mark and win 72-10.

 

[Leakfan12]

I don't see Vandy getting 30 points against the Gators. Seals would get yards mostly because the D is not that good. The bigger question is how long will Trask and the first-team offense play?

 

[DRU2012]

Personally (and this is one time the fact that this just is mostly the THREE of us actually talking about it allows me to say something out loud that I’d otherwise NOT say...and by-the-way, we DO get a certain number of “silent guests/drop-ins” who apparently READ our comments here but do not THEMSELVES add their OWN thoughts—I would encourage them to do so, “the more the merrier blah blah blah”, but welcome them here regardless, without judgement or qualification under ANY circumstances), but I have growing, deepening confidence in this Gator Team “taking care of business” and CRUISING right through to the LSU game, which I believe is our one dangerously competitive contest remaining before the SEC Championship. They (LSU) DO have taken over there (as do the OTHER teams we’ll face in the meantime—all of them SEC squads, don’t forget...And the Tigers have all those intervening weeks to improve, just as WE do and are figuring into OUR presumed-“growth” as a contender).
But even THAT one will be taken VERY seriously, at the very least as our last “warm-up” for Alabama; Mullens, Grantham et al WILL HAVE US READY, as they will for each game between here and there—Then we’ll see!
Been watching the replay of the Arkansas game here while composing today’s comments on these threads (that 4th qrtr “scoop’n’score” by Carter just occurred...Nice!)...Yes, we are RAPIDLY transforming ourselves into the kind of team we want to be, NEED to be, in order to thrive in today’s SEC.
And let’s face it: Dominate the SEC, and you ARE one of “The Elite”, by definition!

 

[Escambia94]

I think it was Rex Grossman who was caught on camera saying, "Let's score 5 TDs in the first half and relax the second half". I cannot remember which team it was, but it may have been #18 LSU, whom the Gators defeated 44-15 in 2001. I would like for Kyle Trask to do something like this for the rest of the season: score 5 TDs and sit down. Let Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson get some reps, and let Trask get some sideline coaching to prepare for a showdown with Alabama.

That being said, the Vandy passing attack will make some plays on the Gator defense. The question is whether those breakdowns will result in TDs. I think Vandy will score a TD on the Gator secondary after a brainfart, and maybe again in the second half (field goal or TD) against the second team defense.

 

[DRU2012]

I think it was Rex Grossman who was caught on camera saying, "Let's score 5 TDs in the first half and relax the second half". I cannot remember which team it was, but it may have been #18 LSU, whom the Gators defeated 44-15 in 2001. I would like for Kyle Trask to do something like this for the rest of the season: score 5 TDs and sit down. Let Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson get some reps, and let Trask get some sideline coaching to prepare for a showdown with Alabama.

That being said, the Vandy passing attack will make some plays on the Gator defense. The question is whether those breakdowns will result in TDs. I think Vandy will score a TD on the Gator secondary after a brainfart, and maybe again in the second half (field goal or TD) against the second team defense.

I hope (AND THINK) you’re right!
Certainly, this Vanderbilt team doesn’t worry me—we’d have to be TERMINALLY OVERCONFIDENT, to the point of sloppy carelessness, and ill-prepared to boot...and even then I believe we’d still win; just maybe not cover the spread! (LOL)
Don’t get me wrong: I like their Coach, think he does a good job considering the degree to which his hands are tied by a number of factors—and even those are things I LIKE about their high-quality, high-standard institution. They just don’t have the advantages of scale, cash or enough powerful alumni-in-ABUNDANCE to offset the DISadvantages to any effective degree.
Normally they show decent defense under him—but not this season. A number of factors that have affected EVERYONE, in the SEC and beyond this year...
But the direct and immediate consequence, from the P.O.V. of whomever faces them, is that they shouldn’t face much of a challenge.
In our case this Saturday, well, it really DOES appear to be a case of “Name your score!”...I mean it: If they hold us under the point spread (a normally absurd “31 points”!), I’d consider THAT a good job on the part of their team and staff!

 

[DRU2012]

Kick-off at noon Eastern, 11:00am Central on ESPN.
See y’all in the morning...
GO GATORS!!!

 

[DRU2012]

OK!!!
It’s 10:10am Saturday morn, about an hour before kick-off here.
The early-Sat college football shows are getting going (frankly, I’M sick of ‘em ALREADY!) and just wanna get TO it all here now! Guess I’ll throw a little breakfast together here now...a simple cheeze omelette, coupla floppy pieces of bacon on the side, a rasberry’n’yogurt smoothy...
See ya in bout half, an hour, 40 minutes when they’re ready to tee it up!
Eat ‘em UP, REPTILES!

 

[DRU2012]

Gotta admit something right up TOP here:
I know we’ve already talked a BUNCH about all this, and I’ve said what I said...
But now that they’re out here WEARING it, I gotta admit it:
I LIKE the “near ALL WHITE” (including “white helmet with blue script!”) AFTER ALL! Gives ‘em a CLEAN, FAST LOOK!
What do Y’ALL think?
(Anyway, here we go...)

 

[DRU2012]

WTF?
I fell asleep—and woke up to find us getting BEAT—by Vandy. Late in the first half.
This is EXACTLY what happens when you lose focus, become overconfident in the SEC.
Long completions for Commodores TWICE on 3rd-and/long in this latest drive. Either we pull it to get her PROMTO or ALL our hopes for this season will evaporate. We need to sharpen up—Either we somehow match THEIR intensity, or we WILL lose here!

 

[DRU2012]

I actually can’t stand to watch this!
It is WAY past time for us to exert our will here.
Yes: We are “better” than them. We have more talent, blah blah blah...
And NONE OF THAT MEANS ANYTHING RIGHT NOW!!!
We have mucked this up, messed around and beaten OURSELVES here so far, looks like.
Time to wake UP, boys.
You’re halfway through this game—and the “other guys” are beating you all over the field!

 

[DRU2012]

Apparently, all those Covid-avoidance measures pregame on the road here didn’t sit well with our squad.
Call it “superstitious” or “off our routine”, but they need to FIND ANOTHER WAY!
This is the WORST Trask AND our offense has looked ALL YEAR!
WELL, maybe we can at least go and get the lead now...Prediction:
Either we DO drive and score here and now, or we WILL lose this game.
This is one of those “Come to Jesus”-moments...You have FINALLY STOPPED THEM and more or less flipped the field position game on them.
Now, just as THEY have managed to ignore the talent and record disadvantage, now WE must ignore what has happened so far.
Never thought I’d say this today, but they really needed Pitts today after all.
And they DON’T need Jones in there now...
I am very concerned here:
This could REMAIN a close game.
Unless things change soon, we may NOT “snap out of it” here after all:
We MAY just have to somehow tough it out, grind it out. Trask is having an off day like everyone else. Well, we tie it up, anyway. NOT exactly the game we expected. And maybe THAT is the problem: A game like this was WAITING for us...One bad day for our OFFENSE, and here in the SEC we find ourselves in trouble.
They are talking about the CFB Playoff Rankings coming up Tuesday and our possible ranking in it—but we better just FORGET about all that for now.
WE NEED TO make some plays here, maybe find a way to steal a score here and the lead before the half—And RETOOL, come back on the 2nd half and WIN THIS THING.
Now: Can Kyle work some magic here BEFORE the half? I know: Probably need to just be careful, get out of here at least tied, anyway.
We’re not PLAYING some crap aimless team; we are playing a fellow SEC squad who are CONVINCED they can WIN this thing!

 

[DRU2012]

Trask looking better now, got them to midfield with the half running down.
Like I say: Let’s see if we can at least get the lead now.
Beautiful TD throw by Trask
THAT’S how it’s done...but they are reviewing the catch. Aw shit, I think they will call this an incomplete...No! It stands! Huge. We NEEDED that!
Finally have the lead here.
We took their best shot, made every mistake we were capable of making here, but go to the half with the lead AND a chance for the coaches to readjust and WIN THE SECOND HALF NOW.

 

[DRU2012]

3rd and long...and if we can get the ball back here now, we’ll have a few ticks to MAYBE take ANOTHER shot or two...
Maybe we can grab a fg try before the half!

 

[Escambia94]

Gator defense apparently hates noon kickoffs.

 

[Leakfan12]

Good thing the Gators get the ball to start the half.

 

[DRU2012]

18 seconds, 2 times out...
Our kicker has the big leg, so we need to pull something off quick. But no.
Went like most of the REST of that half:
“Not quite good enough!”
And that is what the first half here just demonstrated:
We just are “NOT QUITE GOOD ENOUGH” to just cruise along at half speed and expect to win—not even against one of the weakest teams in
our league!
Have we forgotten that THIS IS THE SEC??! Vandy is QUITE capable of pulling it together at home, rising up and actually matching up with us???
Between our missing some stars on BOTH sides of the ball, AND this weird way we showed up late, changed on the bus and the field, and NOW spending half time “readjusting” ON THE SIDELINES here—I hope this works out.
I think maybe Mullens & Co may be over-thinking this, OUT-thinking THEMSELVES here, Covid or NOT!!!

 

[DRU2012]

Gator defense apparently hates noon kickoffs. View attachment 554

I hate ‘em too.
Selfishly enough, I USED to like them:
It meant we had our “win” and could enjoy the rest of the day’s contests—BUT: Then we kept having difficulties, our team seemingly not ITSELF waking up until well into the game! Happened again here today—and these “anti-Covid measures” have NOT HELPED either!
Remains to be seen whether our usual ability on part of our coaches to analyze, adjust and turn things around in the THIRD quarter will be the case THIS TIME:
We will need our D to continue to further develop and outright DOMINATE the 2nd Half!
And Kyle Trask clearly will have to return fully to form as well: I figure he’ll have to throw AT LEAST two more TD passes to win this. DAMN, wish we had a running game that could control things better—we sure don’t have the consistent defense for it yet.
In fact, I’m afraid we must probably just set aside whatever thoughts we had of eventually beating Bama in the SEC Championship Game...
We’ll need all our tools, all our poise and concentration as a TEAM in order just to hold our own in all our remaining regular season games here in the SEC.

 

[DRU2012]

Trask slid early there. I understand why—but after that poor throw on 2nd down, we’re gonna face a 4th down play here I fear...
I say “GO for it!”—but keep it simple: QB sneak I guess (though they will be tempted to throw one: It’ll be wide open—but after that “slipped-out-of-my-hand”-throwin 2nd down, I doubt they chance it.
Loooong commercial break here...and yes, we go for it. Pierce gets it.
Now: Let’s take it in.

 

[DRU2012]

OK...We are starting to look like “UF on offense” again now.
Take this the last dozen yards and begin to force THEM to take chances.
Maybe we can get a pick 6 or something—we got 2nd and goal at the 1.
TOUCHDOWN!

 

[DRU2012]

Alright. Finally starting to assert ourselves after all.
E—, didn’t YOU predict that “Vandy’d keep it close early, but we’ll pull away in second half”??? You probably didn’t figure they’d keep it THAT “close”, THAT LONG—but it seems to be getting “straightened out” NOW!
Of course, we GOTTA hold them for a couple more possessions and “keep the pedal to the metal” on offense for the rest of the quarter at LEAST—but now that we seem to have finally AWAKENED, that should be doable.
Here we go.