Florida started shaky but quickly got what it needed — its fourth SEC win — to set up a showdown with South Carolina next Saturday in Gainesville for the SEC East title.
The Gators (6-3 overall, 4-3 in the SEC) took the initial lead thanks mostly to the first blocked punt by Rainey, which gave UF the ball at the Vanderbilt 3 with 9:16 to go in the opening quarter. Mike Gillislee was stopped for no gain on the first down but scored his fifth touchdown of the year on the next play.
It was just the third touchdown scored in the first quarter by Florida all season.
Gators freshman Jaylen Watkins mistakenly touched a Vanderbilt punt to give the ‘Dores the ball at Florida’s 33 midway through the quarter. But Vanderbilt (2-7, 1-5) couldn’t capitalize.
UF drove to the Commodores’ 31 then made it 14-0 on Jordan Reed’s pass to Deonte Thompson on the first play of the second quarter. It was Reed’s first collegiate touchdown pass and Thompson’s first TD catch of the season and eighth in his career.
The sophomore became the first Gator since Andre Caldwell in 2006 to run, throw and catch a touchdown in the same season.
At the same time, the Gators’ defense had four sacks in the first half — by defensive ends Duke Lemmens Justin Trattou and linebackers Brandon Hicks and A.J. Jones — after getting just 15 in the first eight games.
Florida went up 21-0 on a flea flicker. Trey Burton took a direct snap, started to run, then flipped the ball back to John Brantley. Brantley actually had Omarius Hines wide open in the middle of the field but threw to Rainey instead, who pulled the ball in falling down for a 40-yard score. It was Brantley’s 7th TD pass of the season.
The Gators added another touchdown less than a minute later when defensive tackle Terron Sanders picked up a fumble by Vandy tailback Zac Stacy, who was hit by Lerentee McCray, and returned it 45 yards. That made it 27-0 with 11:18 remaining in the half.
Stacy was shaken up on the play and eventually taken off the field in a cart. The TD gave Florida 21 points over a period of less than four minutes.
Brantley’s second touchdown throw of the game went 39 yards to Frankie Hammond with 5:43 still left in the first half.
The 10-play drive covered 98 yards and lasted 3:30.
Vanderbilt had given up 113 points in its last three games leading into Saturday’s defeat to the Gators.
Florida added one more touchdown just before the half when Rainey got his second blocked kick of the day — and fourth in his career, tying the school career mark — which Solomon Patton picked up and ran 42 yards to make it 41-0 at the half.
The Commodores got their first points four minutes in the third quarter on a blocked punt that was returned four yards by Javon Marshall for the score.
