Official Game Thread Week 12: Florida Gators at Vanderbilt Commodores 11/19/22

[Escambia94]

The Florida Gators (6-4, 3-4) head to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores (4-6, 1-5). Florida is favored by 14.5 points and the O/U is at 57.5. Florida leads the all-time series 43-10-2, which goes back to 1945. The Gators have won 30 of the last 31 going back to 1988 with the lone blemish being in 2013. Florida is 20-7-1 in Nashville. They are 23-2-1 in Gainesville against the 'Dores.

The 'Dores have a signature win over #24 Kentucky, which was their first and only conference win this season after dropping 5 straight SEC contests.

DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT	W-L	HIGH PASS	HIGH RUSH	HIGH REC
Sat, Aug 27	@ Hawai'i	W 63-10	1-0 (0-0)	Wright 146	Wright 163	Sheppard 39
Sat, Sep 3	vs Elon	W 42-31	2-0 (0-0)	Wright 245	Davis 95	McGowan 118
Sat, Sep 10	vs 23 Wake Forest	L 45-25	2-1 (0-0)	Swann 146	Davis 87	McGowan 56
Sat, Sep 17	@ Northern Illinois	W 38-28	3-1 (0-0)	Swann 255	Davis 116	Sheppard 171
Sat, Sep 24	@ 2 Alabama	L 55-3	3-2 (0-1)	Swann 115	Griffin 19	Sheppard 52
Sat, Oct 8	vs 9 Ole Miss	L 52-28	3-3 (0-2)	Swann 281	Davis 105	McGowan 104
Sat, Oct 15	@ 1 Georgia	L 55-0	3-4 (0-3)	Swann 105	Davis 29	Sheppard 45
Sat, Oct 22	@ Missouri	L 17-14	3-5 (0-4)	Wright 127	Davis 28	Carter 80
Sat, Nov 5	vs South Carolina	L 38-27	3-6 (0-5)	Swann 127	Davis 167	Sheppard 95
Sat, Nov 12	@ 24 Kentucky	W 24-21	4-6 (1-5)	Wright 184	Davis 129	Sheppard 88

The Gators have a signature win over #7 Utah and an underdog win over Texas A&M. They are bowl eligible and seeking a strong finish in year one of Billy Napier's Scared Money Don't Make Money era. The back half of the Gator season has featured a lot of first-time starters and first-time action for youngsters and lesser known Mullen recruits.

DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT	W-L	HIGH PASS	HIGH RUSH	HIGH REC
Sat, Sep 3	vs 7 Utah	W 29-26	1-0 (0-0)	Richardson 168	Richardson 106	Pearsall 67
Sat, Sep 10	vs 20 Kentucky	L 26-16	1-1 (0-1)	Richardson 143	Johnson Jr. 62	Henderson 50
Sat, Sep 17	vs South Florida	W 31-28	2-1 (0-1)	Richardson 112	Johnson Jr. 103	Shorter 33
Sat, Sep 24	@ 11 Tennessee	L 38-33	2-2 (0-2)	Richardson 453	Richardson 62	Shorter 155
Sun, Oct 2	vs Eastern Washington	W 52-17	3-2 (0-2)	Richardson 240	Pearsall 76	Shorter 75
Sat, Oct 8	vs Missouri	W 24-17	4-2 (1-2)	Richardson 66	Johnson Jr. 86	Shorter 20
Sat, Oct 15	vs LSU	L 45-35	4-3 (1-3)	Richardson 185	Richardson 109	Shorter 71
Sat, Oct 29	vs 1 Georgia *	L 42-20	4-4 (1-4)	Richardson 271	Etienne 53	Henderson 110
Sat, Nov 5	@ Texas A&M	W 41-24	5-4 (2-4)	Richardson 201	Johnson Jr. 100	Pearsall 65
Sat, Nov 12	vs South Carolina	W 38-6	6-4 (3-4)	Richardson 112	Johnson Jr. 161	Douglas 53

The Gators are a top-15 rushing team are just outside the top 25 in total offense. The Gator defense is ranked around #100 in several categories, but has been a top-10 defense in the past two games.

Team Stats​	Florida	Vanderbilt
Points Per Game	31.9 (#42)	26.4 (#82)
Points Allowed Per Game	26.9 (#74)	35.2 (#121)
Total Yards	438.9 (#31)	363.0 (#86)
Yards Passing	213.2 (#86)	203.3 (#102)
Yards Rushing	225.7 (#11)	159.7 (#60)
Yards Allowed	421.0 (#105)	457.8 (#123)
Pass Yards Allowed	249.8 (#95)	293.5 (#130)
Rush Yards Allowed	171.2 (#95)	164.3 (#91)

Assuming the Gators are not caught looking ahead to FSU, the Gators should cruise to a 38-10 victory.

 

[DRU2012]

Never mind the UK outcomes (theirs OR ours...WE should have BEATEN UK OURSELVES earlier this season, even with them playing MUCH better at that time (we were, and by now certainly ARE, the better team) than they showed against an efficiently more balanced Vandy than we're used to seeing. We are even more relatively talented these guys than we were UK...Simply put, we should win this going away.
We play at the level we played LAST week, even better, take ANOTHER step forward, and we'll go into Tallahassee on a similar roll to the one our lately suddenly much-hyped cross-state rivals. have supposedly been on.
In both cases, ours AND theirs, all this is mainly RELATIVE to the forgettable (if we all try hard enough) lackluster level of talent and play characterized for some years now in these annual meetings.
But we ALL wanna see us WIN out now.
So do them and theirs.
Let's go out and make damn sure that THAT is what WE at least will be playing for.

 

[Escambia94]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1592162941633056768

 

[Leakfan12]

This could be a trap game especially since they beat UK. I hate to say that but don't look ahead.

 

[Escambia94]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1593352024388616193

 

[DRU2012]

This could be a trap game especially since they beat UK. I hate to say that but don't look ahead.

"Hate to say it" myself!
I have tended more and more to go into Gator games with that feeling this season, even WITH our seeming "turnaround" (we could see that the schedule was toughest on the FRONT end from BEFORE the season, after all).
The other thing about this streak near the end though is that it HASN'T solely been the schedule that explains our improving record: This team is on the upswing under Billy Napier in every way, by every sign to be sure.
So at this point I am cursed with the same trepidation--but also a growing sense of confidence that in spite of all the downs earlier, the ups of late are genuine.
We all keep hearing how we "SHOULD beat this Vanderbilt team", and we know it's true. The Mullen-built team that over-achieved in Game 1 then reverted to character from there forward for most quarters til the 2nd half in J-ville, has of late more and more fully morphed into the "foundation of TOMORROW'S Gators".
Depth questions, cold weather, early start or no, we look like an SEC program on the upsurge now, and deserve that confidence vs this opponent.
The larger test will come in next week's finale against our rival in Tallahassee...just don't get caught looking ahead, boys!

 

[Escambia94]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1593959780292259840

 

[DRU2012]

Here we go. C'mon, Gators! GET IT DONE!

 

[DRU2012]

3 and out. Good start for the D.

 

[DRU2012]

NUTS!!! Big loss on fumbled snap!
Crap.

 

[DRU2012]

But we get the first on 3rd and 25!

 

[DRU2012]

ANOTHER loss on the NEXT play.
Yikes--we look like the bumbling early-season Gators now. Cold weather/early start???

 

[DRU2012]

Could be targeting here...

 

[DRU2012]

Looks like WE are benefitting from the kinds of things we often have been the victims of ourselves, mistake-wise.

 

[DRU2012]

Crap. Gotta go on 4th down.
Great catch inside the 10!

 

[DRU2012]

WTF is WRONG with our redzone offense?

 

[DRU2012]

Looking like ANOTHER bust inside the 10.

 

[DRU2012]

Drops the sure TD pass.
Not Richardson's fault, for sure.

 

[DRU2012]

Got three, but left points on the field.
I am HATING our receiving corps. After Piersall now, does NOT appear we got much.
These guys dropped at least THREE easy ones, right on their hands on the last drive--including the one that cost them the TD.
If you got any more, Billy, get THEM in there. These ones you're checking out are garbage!

 

[DRU2012]

Bad sign our screwing up in the redzone again.
A major weakness in our Offense, clearly.